Ice And Blood: My Patch of Ice and Blood
by linkinparkfan9799
Summary: Maki is a girl who was born with a rare system of being a Two-Character Bearer called 'X-Negative'. When she has to move, can Amu and Ikuto prevent her 'suicide' attempts?
1. XNegative

_**FYI: I just started watching the show. I like it.**_

_**No rights to Shugo Chara.**_

_**Summary: Maki is a girl who was born with a rare system of being a Two-Character Bearer called 'X-Negative'. When she has to move, can Amu and Ikuto prevent her suicide attempts?**_

_**From the author of Survival, an Inuyasha fan fiction, and Mistletoe, a Vampire Knight fan fiction…**_

_**Likinparkfan9799 PRESENTS!**_

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 1_

**X-Negative**

A car, a cat, a…_sheep_…the scenes go by as my step-father drives the car latterly across the F*CKING country of Japan. It sucks to be honest, having to move in the middle of the year, but Mommy said it'd help with 'clearing my head'. Nobody understands what really happened. Nobody. I cross my arms and glare out the window. I'm not positive. I'm not negative. I'm not sure _what _I am anymore. To be honest with you, the reader, I _was _positive once. But when Daddy died, all went down-hill. Mommy remarried to this B*TCH who I swear I've seen wear, like, _FIVE _of Mommy's bikini's, in which making me question his gender. Mommy got a new, high-paying job, but she's not at home most of the time, and neither is 'Little Bo Peep', so I'm often home alone. No brothers, one unborn sister, the usual CR*PPY life. This all started when I was seven, and I'm, what, eleven? I shut my eyes and watch the moon, a shooting star flying by. I clasp my hands with one another and bow my head, eyes closed, in that praying position. _Please…all I want are friends. I'll even take a black cat!_

You see, I'm extremely superstitious, so if someone even _likes _black cats, I think that's instant bad luck for _life after life_. I slump in the left back seat of the car and lightly set my left albino temple on the side of the car. The air-conditioning is cranked up all the way, forming goose bumps on my skin, but due to my 'condition', it's just like normal in here. I rub my tired eyes and watch another star fly by. My eyes moisten irritably. _Please…I'M BEGGING YOU! _I hug my ribs and I stare into the night. I gap slightly when I see the faint whipping of a tail.

_I want to be…a friend._

I dig constantly through my luggage while the movers hoist in some television Mommy bought me to shut me up, in which she's not _that _mean. She's extremely angelic, it's just the fact that she has these headaches, so she prefers no complaining, which is actually rare for me. The white trimmed window is locked shut, the walls are sky-blue, and some milk is resting on the desk. The movers run out at the sight of my grit teeth and pulsating veins beneath the forehead and the door slams, so I huff a cool puff of air and blink around, straight up and arms limp to my sides. The bed is big enough for two fifteen-year-olds, which I find a bit out of hand. There's a small painting of a bowl of fruit Mommy painted for me, which is fantastic with the realistic texture and shading by the way. The dark wood desk is up against the left wall if you're standing at the back wall to my present left, an elegant, hardwood chair pushed into. I yawn and shift my feet on the light brown carpet, the light purple pillows and sheets laid out for me to enter under the covers. I take a pair of old scissors and cut myself on the arm just to check if this is real.

It is.

I sigh and grit my teeth, chucking the scissors above the light wood headboard, the blades piercing a hole into the dry-wall, I think Mommy called it. Speaking of Mommy and Daddy, I call them that because Mommy doesn't like it when I call her something 'grown-up' to put it to words. Daddy was the exact same. I sigh. I remember so clearly how it went…I shake my head and kick the chair. Jeez, nothing good comes out of this SH*T. I fall on my butt and curl my knees to my torso. Tomorrow's my first full day of this torture, and Mommy said I won't be going to school until 'I make some improvement'. I growl and hug my knees to my chin. I want to go home, my _real _home. I hear a soft tap and look up to jump back, right eye twitching like crazy and my arms the only back support at the moment. Outside the window is a _floating_, little person with car ears and a tail. I raise a tail and date back to those wishing stars. Is this real? That's when I note that the tail and ears are _black_. I scream and duck under the bed half-way, as* high in the air while I look for some horseshoes and clovers. I rip up a floorboard and snatch out a monster trap, wondering who even put it there, since the house is new, and shrug, fighting out of under the bed to stand and turn to the window with the trap raised high. I freeze once I see that the window is _wide-open_. I drop the trap instantly. I gulp and stare out at the open night. I glance to see the milk is gone and I refuse to look behind me.

That's when it comes.

'It' is my serious condition. My head pulsates, cramps, my body heats up like it's about to explode…I clutch my fists as an 'X' tries to carve itself into my forehead. I run towards the window and jump out, smashing into a dumpster. I hear a meow and scream, looking next to me to see another black cat. I clutch my head and shake it, curling into a ball there. I feel a pulsing, racing pain up and down my left arm, holding my head to keep it in one piece. I have never learned what this system is called, but I like to call it 'X-Negative', since it tries to make 'X's constantly and my blood is A-Negative. Scars in the forehead aren't exactly bloodless you know. Someone shuts the dumpster lid and I feel the pulse in my neck speed. My bloodshot eyes are wide and I scream, something in my chest aching. I kick the lid up and clutch the edge, catapulting out and seeing some guy with orange shoulder hair and glasses. He looks like an adult, but who knows these days?

"W-ho are you?" I demand, keeping the stance of bravery.

He's not smiling. "Please, you're sick, Miss Kia."

I take a step back. "How do you know my name?"

He holds out a hand. "Please…all questions will be answered if you come with us."

_Us? _I freeze and my heart clenches. I wince and then they come: the memories. They're short flashes now, since this is only a mild case. One's Daddy, smiling and holding me, his newborn. One's Mommy, hugging Daddy. One's the two arguing. One's Mom's remarriage. One's…that kid. I clutch my head and spread my legs a bit, bending the knees slightly and trembling. _No more_…I scream, and all fades.


	2. Black Cat on Friday the Thirteenth

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 2_

**Black Cat on Friday the Thirteenth**

I yawn and stretch out my body flat on the bed and get up, since it's bright and shining morning. I sigh and kick the blankets to the floor, trudging over to the closet. I'm not a depressed person, just someone trying to conceal emotions so I don't get the 'X-Negative's. I shudder and shrug off my two-piece pajamas, snatching a plain bra for the flat-chest that I have, and forcing a light-teal, medium sleeved dress with a simple wavy bottom line and a U neckline, a huge imprint of a flower on the lower left. I yawn and turn back to the bed and yelp. I blink and rub my eyes, staring with confusion. Why are there two eggs on the bed? I raise a brow and tip-toe over, seeing I'm the early bird of the family. I cautiously pick the two eggs up and turn them around over and over. One is light purple with black stripes, light purple roses over the fattest black stripe in the center. The other is light teal, much like the dress, and has deep crimson stripes, light teal quarter notes over the fattest crimson line in the center. I scratch the back of my neck and set them down on some towel on the desk. I look over to the window to see it's in fact closed, but not locked.

Okay, huh?

I raise it up and peep out to the backyard, the dumpster still there, seeing the garbage-man is not due for quite some time. I sniff the back of my hand and detect slight dumpster scent. Yep, everything last night was real. But who were those black cats? The one in the dumpster was perfectly normal, but the one out my window…that was creepy. I look under my bed and pull out that monster trap. I squint to see some ink and immediately know it's booby-trapped. I squeak and toss it out of the window, catching on something and resulting in a rather painful roar. I gulp and nervously laugh as I gently push the window down and lock it firmly, opening the front door and practically crawling down the spiral metal steps going straight down, jumping off the last one and yawning as I make my way onto one of those seats in the bars, the really high-seated, ones. I plop myself down and slam my head down on the counter, entwining my fingers behind my neck and shutting the brown contact eyes. I slightly ruffle my dyed black hair and hoist a deep breath before Mommy walks in (remember, I have to do that). She sets a laptop down in front of me and I blink, just staring. She simply smiles.

"That's for you dear," she giggles. "I though it'd be a good way to get on some good natured environments!"

For your information, she has in fact _never _heard of Cyber-bullying. I huff and open it, the screen flickering to life and the short-cuts all 'friendly online games'. Mommy practically skips out and I'm busy searching for Microsoft Word on here before I hear the back door open. Oh CR*P! What if it's that guy again? I jump off and stomp to the desk with the meat-tenderizer, stomping my way for the back down only to drop it on my foot. It's that little black cat from out the window, and some guy probably nineteen or so is resting on the rackety, barf green couch next to him. I blink and bend down, never removing my gaze, and clutching the handle of the tenderizer. The black cat blinks at the ceiling and slowly notices me, screaming…_or squeaking_…like He** when he sees what I have. "WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!" he panics. "AH!"

I blink and the guy slowly opens his eyes, turning his head to me and making me duck behind a wall. His eyes are _blue_. He huffs and sits up to stand, hands in black pants pockets, what look like multiple belts or straps tied around each leg in some fashion. I notice he has a loose black shirt and croppy blue hair, making me hide behind the wall to the point one-one hundredth of my left eye can be seen. I try to convince myself this is that friend I wished for, but honestly you try having some random dude in your house in the middle of…I check my 'mood' watch with rainbow colors and hearts on the face for '12' '9' '3' and '6' and a huge rainbow one in the center with a slight heart cut out in the right side. It's _5:35A.M_. Yep, try having some random stalker in your new house at 5:35A.M with the fact that you're probably a foot and a half shorter. I gulp and back up one step. This reminds me of one of those common school days, but I'm _not _going into that right now. The little levitating cat swoops over, making me clutch to a wall edge. He's just smiling with the whiskers on his face seeming to tickle his cheeks.

"Hello!" he squeaks. "I'm Yoru!"

I blink. Is this cat talking to me? I blankly blink and walk back into the kitchen, taking out a knife from the drawer and slicing my left platform open, the guy and cat _just _walking in when I get the blade out. Once I stare at their slightly horrified faces for a bit and they don't disappear, I chuck the knife at the dude's head. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" I scream, taking a pot off a rack and also chucking it. "GET OUT YOU…uh…stalker, pervert, what's the word for it?"

He dodges them all of course. I scream in annoyance and the blood flow of the platform multiples. I try making a break for the front door, but he already has both elbows seized by the time I dash a yard. I wriggle and scream, in which he covers my mouth and pulls me close to his body in a position I can't kick his privates or anywhere else with critical damage. I cure him for having looped my elbows together with his own elbow crook and keep up the assault. _Jeez, I wish I could be able to escape this…_I freeze when I remember the eggs. Is he after them? Wait…WHY WOULD PEOPLE BE AFTER EGGS? He forces me into my own room and shuts the door with the bottom of his shoe, pushing me forward to lock it. I try for the window, but he already has my ankle, in which my chin crashes to the ground. I'm able to see some calendar under the desk with today's date circled numerously: Friday the thirteenth. I scream and scramble up, forgetting all about the ankle, and managing to grip the window base, the guy really putting up a hustle to get me away from the window.

"You're-not…going to…GET-away…this time!" he grunts out forcefully, as if he's struggling with this SH*T.

So he was the one in my room last night? That'd explain a bit. I scream and I feel him touch a certain area that should NOT be. I scream and tears fall down slowly, my sweaty hands slipping and making me crash into the carpet. JES*S HELP ME! I cover up my 'v' and stare at him with wide, teary eyes. "RAPEST! CHILD MOLESTER!" I scream.

"Oh first it's Amu, now it's you," he grunts in disbelief. Who's Amu? "I'm going through a lot of trouble with you right now, I'd prefer if you'd just cooperate!"

I raise a brow and gap. Is this guy serious? "WHO COOPERATES WITH SOME CHICK WHO BREAKS INTO THEIR HOUSE?"

I guess he didn't like that 'chick' remark, since next thing I know the chair is in pieces and the side of my face is throbbing with splinters. Yoru, the black cat, gulps. "Uh…Ikotu, I don't think you're allowed to do that."

I'm scared! What do these two want? I eye the eggs and bury my face into the ground. _All I wished for was a friend…is that too much to ask? _Tears dampen the carpet under my face and I hear something crack, so I look over to see that light purple egg is completely separated in halves, a little head popping out. I squint, that being immensely difficult due to the tears, and see that it's a small person, like Yoru except not a cat-like human. This one has light purple hair that flows to her waist, her height five inches. She has a small deep purple beret and a little rose pendant the same light purple color of her hair attached to a small silver chain. She hops out and I see her skin is snow, her sleeveless top is deep-purple, her skirt is white with belt loops, a light purple leather belt with a silver belt buckle of a rose holding the skirt flowing to her mid-thighs. She has little light purple sneakers with deep purple flowers painted on the sides and iliac eyes. She smiles and jumps up, also floating in mid-air. I bury my face into the carpet and bang the ground once with my right fist.

She comes up next to my ear, whispering in a soft velvet voice. "Hello, I'm Nana. I'm your Guardian Character number one!"

I lift my damp face up and face her, seeing that she looks more like the gymnastics type than anyone I know. "W-Who?"

"Your Guardian Character," she giggles. "I'm who you want to be!"

I risk a glance over at that 'Ikuto'. "He wants to be a _black cat_? That's sort of stupid if you ask me."

"Why?" she sits cross-legged on the carpet in front of the tip of my nose.

I have to cross my eyes to be able to see her to a degree. "Friday the thirteenth," I point to the calendar.

She giggles once again. "I wouldn't be so cautious, since right now you need to focus!"

I nod and sit up on my knees. "Right, so what am I supposed to do? Kick this guy's as* or something?"

She laughs, rolling on the ground and receiving glares from Yoru and Ikuto. "Not exactly. You have to get the other egg and race for an exit."

I nod. "Easier said than done," I mutter with a hint of depression in my voice.

She pats my knee with a small hand and floats up to sit on my shoulder. "It's okay. Everyone dies eventually."

Ikuto raises a brow and I shut my brows, the room feeling slightly stuffy. I dash to swipe the second egg and slide under his legs, that totally being a not-so-fun experience and tumbling down the steps, Nana having the sheer glory of it since she can fly. I land at the bottom of the steps and rush to grab the laptop quickly, kicking the front door down and pushing my heaving body forward, the world before me hazing. She's right, everyone dies eventually, but it's still not something people want to happen…I nearly run into a corner, but I jump up and kick it with both feet, rolling into a ball in mid-air and landing on my knees, doing a power slide and sort of cursing myself for wearing a dress today. I kick up and land on the balls of my feet this time, dashing away and smacking hard into something. I gulp and look up to…AH! IKUTO!


	3. Under the Ladder

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter **3**_

**Under the Ladder**

"PUT ME DOWN YOU CREEP!" I punch Ikuto's back with nearly everything I have.

He has me slumped over his shoulder, only one hand on my back while his right is stuffed in his pocket. I kick at his ribs meekly since the fists are practically my power users at the moment. I'm screaming my head off and hitting with as much might as I can store. Nana is bickering with Yoru and she's trying to get to me, but he's not letting her. These two are total JERKS! Eventually, in the middle of a cuss I learned from Step (step-father), I feel his cheek nudging my hip. I freeze altogether and my body grows hot, my head pounding. Jeez not again! Nana gasps and shoves Yoru with all the force she has at the back of Ikuto's head and tugs some of my hair, my heart snapping into ice and instantly glaring at her.

"Ouch, stop that," I whisper. "Ouch!" Louder. "OUCH!" Obvious. "JEEZ DO YOU GUARDIAN CHARACTERS ALWAYS HURT SO MUCH! OW, OW, OW!"

That's when I feel my ribs ache and blink to see I'm face down on the ground. I blink and push myself to my feet, seeing that Ikuto is holding a rib. I raise a brow and see it's where one of my feet were. Serves him right if you ask me. I stand up and Nana scoffs at them, laughing to me and twirling around my head. I guess she's one for that 'serves them right' as well. I smile. That's like the real me, not the one people take me for. She half-five's my thumb and we start walking away before Ikuto grabs the back of my dress, the middle of the back that is. I gulp and chop my arm down upon his elbow, making him slightly loose grip and tear out of his grasp, running a bit and turning back to glare.

"What do you want from me?" I demand.

Nana sits on my head, smiling. "Relax, you don't have to be demanding."

I blink and take deep breaths. "Alright, Nana. Speaking of which who _do _I want to be?"

She giggles, a tiny little hand covering her lips. "Creative in the many arts."

I blink and grab her tiny body, her head bulging out of the fist. "Is that supposed to mean anything?"

She grunts and I release her from the fist cage. She takes a whooping inhale and twirls around, then doing the splits in mid-air. That'd explain a bit. When I see Yoru goggling, I hiss at her and she does a military salute. "You want to be noticed," she whispers. "Believed in."

I huff and I look up to see Ikuto is no longer in front of me. I feel someone's hand on my shoulder and yelp, jerking back, but the hand not removing itself. It's Ikuto and I try to kick, but let's just say he's persistent. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I scream.

He huffs. "Stop, before you commit suicide."

I grow red in the face and scream. "I'M NOT YOU STUPID SON OF A-"

I see Nana grow pale and cover my mouth. She smiles slightly. "Good catch."

I shake my head and cross my arms. "Whatever," I mutter. "I just want to know why he thinks I'd want to commit suicide…"

Ikuto smirks a bit. "Easy, your X-Negative."

I freeze and look up with a raised brow. "Wait, it's actually _called _that?"

He nods, hands in pockets. "There are multiple types of suicide. Doing something reckless, X-Negative, and finally the actual killing yourself."

I bite my lip. I've done all three. I clutch my fists and face him with my bravest expression. "Did you practically molest me just to tell me that?"

He chuckles, making my eyes glint with crimson. "Why would I waste good techniques doing that?" he wonders. "I'm supposed to be watching you."

I yelp, jumping back and holding my head. It's hot, but not X-Negative hot. I'm just SO embarrassed. "Great, first the dad, now I have a stalker on my as*?"

Nana giggles and hugs my thumb. "Cheer up, all you have to do is do some simple stretches and you'll feel better, even energized!"

I stare at her. Now that she said that, I have a F*CKING good idea that I somehow want to be…athletic? I huff and start walking away, but Ikuto grabs my shoulder again. "What?" I mutter. "Just leave me alone. I don't this CR*P now…"

When he doesn't let go, I jerk my shoulder away and push myself forward, Nana laughing for the fun of it. "Character Change: To a girl who loves racing!" Suddenly, a necklace with a light purple rose pendent matching her wraps around my neck. I feel…energized, ready for anything! I race off, Nana kind of cheating since she can fly. We laugh and I end up smacking int something hard. I shake my head and side-step, walking forward and looking back to what I slammed into. I scream. I just walked under a _ladder_. It's still the thirteenth, Friday! Oh no! What am I going to do? I run in circles with panic and Nana giggles out of nervousness. "Calm down Miss Kia…"

I freeze. What's with these formalities? I huff and remember the other egg, lifting it to my face and seeing it was in my hands this whole time. I squeeze it. It's practically metal! I raise a brow and huff, leaning in and whispering. "Hello, my name's Maki. I want to be your friend." I look over to Nana. "Yours to."

They smile and I hear a small 'meow'. I scream and scramble up boxes. Nana huffs and flies up next to me, crossing her legs and cocking her head ever so slightly. We hear laughing and I glare at Yoru. "That's not nice, Kitty," Nana shuts her eyes and stiffens.

He freezes in a mid-air roll and straightens his spine, upwards and clutching paws. "I'm not a kitty-nya!"

"Nya?" I blink.

I hear creaking and the boxes shatter under me, seeing they're just aged, hollow wood. I shriek and someone catches me, so I stop and look up to Ikuto, now beating at his chest. "LET-ME-GO!" He chuckles once _again_ and I smash his nose under my fist, just P*SSED. "YOU'RE F*CKING WITH THE WRONG PERSON, B*TCH!" I knee his chin and kick his chest back, landing and noticing I still have the necklace on. It vanishes instantly. I gulp and nervously laugh, looking up to the very annoyed Ikuto. "Uh…" I offer some bandages, "…need this?"

He slaps me across the face. "Stupid!" he yells.

I'm wide-eyed, left cheek stinging with the back slap. I'm not crying or anything, it's more like I asked for it. I stumble back a bit and huff. I bend down to lift up some broken glass bottle and smirk, holding out my left arm and looking up to the sky. I try to scratch it, but something's holding my right hand back. I gap, my eyes shaking and filled with confusion, so I look down to Yoru and Nana, holding back the hand with all they can. I blink and Nana faces me. "What…are…you…doing?" she pants.

I smile kindly. "Being me."

Ikuto jerks the bottle out of my hand and tosses it. "That's not you. You're better than that."

I gasp and grit my teeth, looking down. "Who says?"

"Uh…" I can see eggshells closing in on Nana. "What are you doubting, Miss-I mean, Maki?"

I blink and smile to her, the eggshells disappearing. "A lot. It's complicated," I catch my fingers in each other behind my butt, "but it's actually how all this started…"

I look down and I feel Ikuto's hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off and start walking, freezing when I hear him following me. I huff and keep walking, him following. Oh well, this beats X-Negative. But…since when is that _suicide_?


	4. Nana and Quartz Together With Me

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter **4**_

**Nana and Quartz Together With Me**

I sit home, alone in a way. Ikuto promised to stay outside if I want him to. I sip some green tea and stare out the window in my room, the lock containing a heavy amount of duck tape. I scribble on my right arm and start tracing the word 'filthy' with a letter opener Mommy accidentally left. As the blood drips, I feel a sudden draft and a hand clutches the letter opener, jerking it out of my hands. I blink and look up to Ikuto, in which the grit teeth and pulsing forehead returns from last night. "Didn't you say you'd stay out?"

He huffs. "Didn't I include that there were exceptions?" I shake my head, making him sigh and cross his arms, the letter opener hiding behind the left arm. "No suicide attempts."

I growl, making Nana jump (don't think she disappeared on me people). "I'm not trying to commit suicide, dummy. It's called having _fun_."

He winces as if that actually hurt _him_. He shakes his head and glares at me. "Stupid! Don't call that fun!"

I chuckle. "But it's the truth," I shrug. "I cut myself up all the time!"

Yoru files in with a tuna fish, most of the meat gone. "That's nothing (chew, chew) to be proud about!"

I stand out of the chair and Nana comes over, looking kind of worried, and then faces the boys. "She does it to…uh…_neutralize_ herself, I think she said." I nod proudly and Nana giggles. She hugs my thumb. "See? She won't give up life! Not now, not ever!"

The smile is wiped from my face and I look down. Well, I 'tried' once…wait, that wasn't me! I didn't want to do it! I grit my teeth until I feel one aching badly. Nana squeaks and tries to part my jaws, but Ikuto walks over and pulls my lower jaw down, pushing the forehead up with the bottom of his right palm. I blink stupidly and he rolls his eyes, releasing the jaw and removing the palm. "I still don't get why I have to watch you."

"Have to?" I blink. "Jeez, if you don't want to, you shouldn't."

He narrows his eyes towards me. "What about you, huh?" I blink. "Do you honestly want to cut yourself up? Have the X-Negative go out of control?" I blink. Okay, why is he using it in the contest of an actual item? I shake my head and nod. He looks down. "Then, you're stupid."

I huff and shrug. "Who cares? I am who I am."

I stare at the carpet with the brown-contact eyes. This isn't me, but I really do like cutting myself up so I can become used to pain in places so I'm not slowed down in a fight. This hair…is not mine. These eyes…are not mine. I shake my head and plop onto the bed, huffing. Nana floats over my shoulder. "Maki-san, why don't we go somewhere fun?"

I smile at her. Honestly, she's not bad. "Like where?"

"Like…" she flies up in front of my face at the distance I don't have to squint or cross my eyes. "A music store?"

I smile. I do like music. You know, I actually do wish I could find my IPod. Something cracks and I widen my eyes to look over to the towel. The other egg is broken on the floor. "Oops! Sorry, my bad!" I move my gaze next to the window, right above where Ikuto is leaning against the sky-blue walls and another Guardian character the same height as Nana, same skin color, but everything else is uniquely hers. She has teal hair and eyes, a little teal dress flowing to the knees having crimson leggings underneath and teal ballet shoes. Her teal hair flows to her knee-pits, so it's up in a right side ponytail. The ponytail is held with a small teal quarter note clip and an IPod, silver, behind her back. "Found it!"

I smile and she flies over dropping it into my hands. She waves and twirls. I face her with a soft expression most don't really see these days. "Where?"

"Oh, I was out when you guys were out chasing each other!"

I have a bleak expression shoving the smile off. "I see…"

She presents a small hand. "I'm Quartzite by the way."

I smile and pat her head lightly. "I'm Maki; it's nice to meet you Quartzite!"

She giggles and flies next to Nana. "Hey…can you do Character changes and Transformations?"

I raise a brow and Ikuto huffs. "Character changes are when your Guardian Character shifts your present self to someone different, depending on what they are."

I twist my head to Yoru, and back to Ikuto. "So you get cat ears and a tail? Sorry, but that seems like you got robbed."

He rolls his eyes. "This is going to be fun…"

I face Nana and Quartzite again. "So, which is which?"

They giggle. Nana says, "I'm your wish from your eighth birthday!"

"I'm your wish from last J-"

I cover Quartzite's mouth. "Don't reveal my birthday in front of the stalker!"

"Are you still holding me against that?" Ikuto asks in a rather bored voice.

I rip a book off the brown bookshelf Mommy probably put in this morning while I was sleeping. "Shut up!" I chuck it. "Aren't you supposed to be outside?"

He sighs and jumps out the window, probably landing on his feet below. I slam the window shut and the glass shatters slightly, so I groan and kick the wall. I smile at Nana and Quartzite. "Can either of you fix this?" I recall last January, when my birthday is held. "Oh yeah, that's probably you Quartz."

She smiles at the nickname and flies over, taking out a bottle of glue and squirting it, the glue mending the glass and she polishes it quickly. I huff out a held piece of air and turn to Nana, jabbing an index finger. "So you're my wish to be better at everything athletic." She nods and I turn to Quartz. "You're my wish of being…being…" I look down, a bit disheartened. "Like my parents…"

She nods. "Creative in every art!" she smiles. "That's how you always picture them!"

I nod. "So you can cook, draw, paint, mend things, and the songs?"

Quartz nods. "I'm your wish to be more cultural!"

"How's mending things cultural?" Nana wonders.

Quartz shrugs, "Everything else is."

Quartz hands me my IPod and I flip through all my songs, all of which American and in English. Now, I know how to speak English very well, it's just a lot of people here barely know it. I blink and look down at the American book Magic or Madness lying there, so I pick it up and lay it on the desk. I slump down onto my bed and look down at the silver chain, the pendant that was once there still missing. "So how does this chain work?"

They smile. "That's for character changes and Transformations," Nana explains. "When a pendent appears, that means the Guardian Character with that symbol has put a Character Change on you, in the special cases a Character Transformation."

I push up, being giddier today. "Okay," I state enthusiastically, "let's try it!"

Nana flies up first, her eggshells closing her in and flying into me. A light purple glow appears and suddenly, I'm wearing what she was. I blink and I hear a low whistle, turning to see Yoru and Ikuto in the window. Speaking of which…HOW DID THEY GET IN THE FIRST TIME? I look down to see the skirt is mid-thigh, and the wind comes in, so it's billowing a bit. I grow red in the face and pick up the book once again. "PERVERT!"

"Yoru whistled!" Ikuto defends before catching the book. "Jeez, jump to conclusions, why don't you!"

I grunt and turn to Quartz. "Race you to the Bathroom."

"You're on!" Quartz laughs.

I race through the door while she flies, and we both skid into the bathroom, one of us actually skidding in the air (you know). Nana quickly comes out and Quartz goes into the egg, flying into me and a teal glow coming. Next thing I know, I'm like her, except the black hair is longer. I blink and remember it was also longer with Nana's transformation. I blink and Quartz comes out, my hair remaining long. I gap and grab for scissors, but…I threw them at the dry-wall didn't I? I race out and slam into a closed door. I grunt and jerk the handle of my door with no result. I place one foot on the wall and yank. "Eh…" Nana blinks, eye brow raised and her face twisted with confusion and slight uncertainty. "I don't think you should be doing t-"

Too late.

The handle snaps off and I fall backwards, sliding back a bit and hearing a tear somewhere at the back of the dress. I blush and stand, feeling for the tear. Of course, it's where my underpants are. I push my dress out of the way in front of me slightly and look down, seeing I wore the light purple, thin underpants. I scream and try to cover up the tear, blushing like crazy. Ikuto rushes out of the room. "What's w-"He blinks as I try to cover up the rip. He chuckles for a bit and hands me that towel, so I wrap it around the area and stand, sighing with slight relief and feeling something nibbling my ear. I widen my eyes once I realize Ikuto is not at the door and scream again, jerking away and covering it.

"PERVERT!" I accuse.

"Actually you had to see that coming," Quartz blankly states.

I huff. "Jeez, when did my life become so D*MN confusing?"

I trudge into my room and slam the door. I rummage through my closet and something catches my attention. I take out some white, sleeveless shirt with a high neck and shrug the dress to the floor, slipping that on and prying out a knee-length black skirt, sliding that on, and remembering I never had shoes on today, so I examine my feet to see they're slightly cut, but I shrug and slip my feet into white, knee length combat boots I bought myself last month due to school issues. I tug the chain once to make sure it's secure and look around, grabbing my IPod off the bed to see it's on. I raise a brow and look around, seeing there's a note. Huh? I click it. _You have a_ _Doctor's Appointment at 3 tomorrow, Sweetie-Mommy. _I'm wide-eyed. I scream and chuck it at the wall. I'm not mentally ill for crying out loud! The door opens and I hear Ikuto groan.

"Are you going to be screaming in and out all day?" he wonders.

I clutch my fists, glaring at the floor. Jeez…I know she wants 'the best for me', but I swear it on my soul I'm not mentally ill. All I want is to be able to sing, to dance, to be able to at least be energetic in the mornings so I can be like my dad…fun. Suddenly, Ikuto's tongue runs up my cheek and I raise a brow. He stares at me with slightly sympathetic, very curious eyes, and I look down again to see that the carpet is slightly damp with tears. It's to be expected. I've never really handled Daddy's death well. He walks over to the IPod and picks it up, setting it on the desk. Nana comes over with Quartz. "It's a doctor's appointment," Nana reminds me.

"Yeah!" Quartz cheers. "We'll be there with you!"

I dig my nails into my palms. "That's _not _what she meant…"

They blink and Ikuto crosses his arms, tilting his head a bit. I wipe at the cheek he licked and, since he's some form of cat, excuse him mentally for it. "You cut yourself for fun. You have to expect that."

I gasp and take a step back, looking up at him. I grit my teeth and hold my head, the heat coming back. "That's not it!"

"Then what is it?" Yoru wonders.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Quartz scolds.

"Let her organize her thoughts for a bit!" Nana adds.

I sigh. Well, at least I should give that a shot. Okay…here it is, readers…


	5. The Past I Hate

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter **5**_

**The Past I Hate**

_**Age Seven**_

_Mommy and Daddy were arguing for the first time. I was crying silently, looking back and forth as they spat words at each other. I'm not entirely sure what set it off even today, but it was something bad. Suddenly, Daddy grabbed my wrist and smiled at me. "Want to come with Daddy tonight?"_

_I nodded, not wanting him to go away without me at least, and Mommy nodded in respect, letting us out and we go into the car. Daddy started the engine and we backed up into the street, driving off. I was looking out the window, without a seat belt and sitting in the passenger seat. Suddenly, a light up ahead turned red, not many people were out. I blinked, a bit confused why he wasn't stopping. "Daddy, there's a light." He doesn't answer. "Daddy?" He just sped up. "DADDY?" A car didn't see us, so we slammed right into it. I flew out the windshield, glass everywhere and nipping at my skin. I smacked right into a pole, my right shoulder jamming forward. I screamed and the people in the other car rushed out. I screamed and froze when I noticed Daddy, lifeless on the wheel. "Daddy?" I cried. "DADDY!"_

_No answer._

_**Age Eight (three months later)**_

_Mommy kept leaving me with some idiotic babysitter, always chatting on her phone to her friends about shoes and 'cute boys'. UCK! One day, she returned home with some guy. I blinked and she was…happier than ever… "Maki-cha!" she calls. "Come say hello to your new Pappy!"_

_I froze. The babysitter jumped up. "Congrats, Ms!"_

_I dropped my book and felt tears brim in my eyes. That dude came over and knelt in front of me. "Hey, what's-"_

_I screamed, making him jump back. Mommy was looking at me in slight disbelief. "Maki!" _

_I ran out. _

_I want to be…a friend._

_I was having a nightmare. This was probably caused by the fact that I haven't had dinner yet. I was also sleeping, hoping this was all a dream. I took the letter opener off the stand and lightly cut myself. _

_It was._

_I threw it back on the stand and slammed back into the sheets, returning to my restless nap. I was being chased by everything unlucky, all of them screaming I was the reason Mommy and Daddy fought, that I was why Daddy died, that I was why Mommy was getting remarried. Nobody could replace and can replace Daddy, NOBODY! I felt something prick the side of my neck and I heard the door start to creak, so I opened my eyes wide and the door was flung open. "MAKI!"_

_I felt the cool handle of the letter opener in my right hand, the cool blade pressed up against the side of my neck. My body is burning, my head aching. I just realized that? I can tell it's been going throughout the nightmare. I fling up with teary eyes. "Mommy, it's not-"_

_She runs out and calls a therapist._

_**Age Ten (eight months ago)**_

_It was a while since my 'first attempt of suicide'. Until my birthday, I was pleading for people to hear my case, but they kept rambling on. So, I decided to give up. I was going to school with the ear-phones to my IPod over them, listening to the American song Valentine's Day by the American band LINKIN PARK. That's when I bumped into a boy my age, with blonde hair and gentle green eyes. He smiled and waved. "Hi," his words echo, "I'm Toa!"_

"_Maki," I mutter. _

"_Want to be friends?"_

_I smiled and nodded. That was the worst mistake of my life. _

_I want to be…a friend._

_A week later, he was starting to act really cocky. Two weeks after that, he started getting jealous of every boy I was with. After five days, he stopped talking to me. Ten days, stopped sitting next to me anywhere. I was okay with that. I was walking to school about two days after he decided that and suddenly there were a bunch of students in my way. I blinked and tried to side-step, but that would mean stepping in the street. Toa was in the front, looking sort of like a show-off. I was confused. "What the he** are you PR*CKS doing?" I growl._

_Toa jabbed his index at me. "FREAK!"_

_I froze. Okay…huh? "What did you just say?"_

"_FREAK!" the rest echoed._

"_Toa saw you with that 'stalker of the night'."_

_That's a rumor people started because of some guy people barely spotted in the middle of the night TWICE. That's IT. I shook my head. "Dude, why would I be around some myth?"_

"_He says you're," a girl crossed her fingers and people laughed. "You know he's a total jack as*, right?"_

"_Why is that?" I placed my hands on my hips. "So he's a night person, so what?"_

"_AHA!" some D*CK punched the air. "So you admit it!"_

"_I do not! This is all ridiculous!"_

_That's when Toa pulled out a picture and I blinked. It was me, and some dark shadow in an alley, making out. I blinked. "See the proof?"_

_I held up my middle finger to them all. "It's-not-real!" _

_Someone pushed me down. "FREAK!" _

"_How am I a freak by something that's not real? How would someone be a freak just because they're with a guy?"_

"_Haven't you heard? He's been peeping!"_

_I raise a brow. "How would you know that?"_

"_People SAW him, dumb as*," an older boy laughed. "He's probably been peeping on you to."_

_I rolled my eyes and stood, kicking him straight in the face. They had no right to make fun of some guy they didn't know. That's when the fighting started and I realized something; I could trust nobody, since everyone wanted to be cool. _

_**Last Week**_

"_Mom," I glared. "You can't just…make people move," I was laughing. "It's not fair!"_

"_Now, now, it's for your-"_

"_I DON'T CARE ABOUT ME!" I screamed. "CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?"_

_I ran up, and Mommy eventually called me down to tell me we were going whether I liked it or not now, and promised I would later. Yeah, like that would ever happen. _

_I want to be…a friend._

Well, it's the next morning, and Ikuto isn't here. Nana and Quartz stop with their project and I slump on a black turtleneck and a checkered crimson and black puffy skirt with links on a side, wavy black lace tight around my thigh at the bottom. It's only to a quarter down. I have a crimson skull hairpin on the left side of my face and black boots with high bottoms and buckles. I have a red and silver skull bracelet and the silver necklace chain around my neck. Quartz, being 'funny' applies a ton of unnecessary black eye liner and shadow, making me look extremely odd. I fought to get it all off while Quartz and Nana were laughing and I was with them this time. I have to admit, they're pretty friendly. Maybe these are the friends I wished for!

"Oh no!" Mom bursts in. "I have a meeting and your Pappy is out!"

"He's not my dad," I mutter.

"Oh what do I do?"

"I can go by myself."

"How would I know if you went?"

I shrug. "Mommy, please? I'm a 'big girl' who is forced to call you Mommy, remember that."

She is in panic of course, so she blocks everything she doesn't want to hear out. "Oh what do I do?"

The doorbell rings.

Mom goes out to answer.

"HONEY, A BOY MAYBE FIFTEEN IS HERE TO SEE YOU!"

I walk down.

Ikuto is standing in the doorway.


	6. That Patch of Ice and Blood

_FYI: Remember, ANYTHING can happen. Love, friends, hate…the usual. Don't review on the story line, it's not really supposed to be based on the series, just the idea of Guardian Characters, Ikuto, Amu, Japan, the school, you know? Note: Game is FAKE!_

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter **6**_

**That Patch of Ice and Blood**

I'm shuddering in one of the lower cabinets in the kitchen, Mommy trying to coax me out with any means possible. Then I hear several soft taps and a thicker one. I gulp and look around for anything I'm forgetting. There's the Guardians and my…IPod…which does he have? "If you don't come out," I hear Ikuto threaten me, "the Ipod goes into the garbage disposal."

I fly out and grab the hand with the Ipod, yanking it out and hugging it to me. "Jerk," I mutter.

He smirks and turns to Mommy. "Do you need any help with anything?"

She nods. "Would you mind taking her to her appointment?" she wonders. She takes out the address and hands it to him. "I mean, if it's not that much trouble…"

He nods. "I'll be glad-TO!"

He glares at my foot smashing his to the kitchen tile. "Jerk, jerk, jerk…" I mumble as I go.

Mommy laughs a bit nervously. "Yeah, well, she's not really good with people…"

Well, at least she's not going out right and saying I'm a lunatic and why I'm going to a therapist. Ikuto nods and drags me out; the door closing behind so Mommy can get ready for work. I gulp and he smirks, just putting his hands in some gray jacket and walking forward. I have my laptop in a case, since therapist's take a while to get to (inside that is), and Nana and Quartz are sitting on my shoulders, thinking about something. I look up to Ikuto and wonder why he doesn't look anything like a cat. You know, seeing how he was out at night my first day… "How did you do it?" I wonder out loud.

"Hmm?" he turns.

"Nothing," I shake my head. "It's just a rumor."

He lifts up my chin with a thumb and an index finger from his left hand, the right hand clutching his right hip. "What rumor, may I ask?"

Jeez, my body is feeling X-Negative all over again. I even wince as the 'X' tries to carve itself. I push the force back, whatever it is, and sigh, my eyes forcing themselves on his magically blue ones. "Nothing," I state. "It's absolute garbage."

"I don't care," he says. "I want to hear it."

Nana pokes him in the eye and he screams, stepping back and covering his right poked eye. I pat Nana and walk past, smiling and Nana poking my left earlobe lightly. "Yes?" I ask her.

"Where's your dad?" she wonders.

I huff. Well, she has an excuse for being born yesterday…literally. "He's not here. I don't think he's coming back. My step-dad however is out working."

Quartz covers her mouth. "That's awful!"

I feel bad lying to them, but I'm probably going to burst out into tears if I say it out loud. Yoru comes up, so I flick him hard in between the eyes. "NYA-What was that for-nya?"

"Easy, for the B*STARD your guarding being a total PR*CK," I mutter.

Quartz taps my cheek and shakes a finger, so I huff and grip the rough strap of the laptop case with my left, fingerless-gloved hand, the strap on the left shoulder, and walk forward. Yoru lands on my shoulder next to Nana, making her squeak and scoot near my neck. "Ikuto is not bad!" he defends. "What about you-nya? Nobody's perfect-nya, so what have you done?"

I stop in my tracks. "A lot." I've reacted to everything in some way, most of them with my temper. I shake my head and I'm suddenly hauled onto someone's shoulder. My eyes bulge and I glare down at the back of Ikuto's gray jacket. I pound it hard with one hand. "JERK! PUT ME DOWN!"

I hear him chuckle. "Then we won't get there on time."

I kick a bit, but equaling the force in kicking and punching is a bit difficult. "COME ON!"

"Seventeen."

"Huh?" I wonder.

"I'm seventeen, just to let you know."

Darn it, off by two years. "You sure?" He nods. "D*MN you're tall."

Nana flies in front of my face and shakes her head. "Can you not curse PLEASE!" she begs.

I sigh and shrug. "Why not? How long?"

"Until we get to our destination!" Quartz cheers.

"You're on!" I laugh.

"Man, you're freezing," Ikuto mutters.

I raise a brow. "Nana?"

She feels my forehead. "She's not freezing."

Ikuto stops and turns his head to my back. "That explains it."

"What explains what?" I blink at the back of his head.

"You're abdomen is on my shoulder."

"MAKE SENSE!" I beat at his back again.

He sighs. "You apparently know _absolutely nothing _about X-Negative."

I blink, ceasing the 'beating'. "What are you talking about?"

He continues forward and shoves his other hand into the jacket pocket. "X-Negative isn't a disease," he explains. "It's a cube located at the abdomen. It's made out of ice mostly, but there are extra veins that lead to the heart, but they don't produce much blood since it just leaks into the cube. Your abdomen is freezing on the outside, but it is bitter winter inside."

Huh, so my own patch of ice and blood huh? I sigh and poke his left shoulder blade, since it's the closest thing I can think of. "Does everyone have X-Negative?"

"No," he replies. "It's rare for only two-character bearers."

"But I didn't have the Guardian Characters when it started…"

"Yes you did," he slightly snaps. "They're born with you, just in egg form inside your soul."

Oh like _that _makes sense! "So, it could happen anytime?"

He shakes his head. "Only if you're stressed, even if not a lot, it happens then."

"Not every time you're stressed, though!" Yoru cuts in, raising a black paw high in the air.

I roll my eyes and Nana and Quartz sit on my head, swinging their legs. "Maki-cha?" Quartz addresses.

"Yeah?" I puff.

"Where are you going to school?"

I blink. "I don't know…"

"Why?" Ikuto asks.

I glare at the blue hair. "I just don't!"

He sighs. "Are you ever going to not yell at me?"

"No, you're a stalker and a pervert," I snap. I feel him nudge my hip with his cheek, making me kick at him. "SEE?"

"Cats do it all the time, yet I doubt you call them perverts."

"Oh shut up you're not a cat." Ears appear and a tail comes out. "Never mind."

Nana is looking through a little book and gasps. "Maki, what's this?"

I accept the little book and look in.

_Miscarriage when Maki was only four._

Well, I couldn't describe that since I can barely remember it! I huff and nod, making Nana start crying. Yoru raises a brow and eyes the book in my palm. "What?"

I shake my head and hand it back to Nana, her using the cover as a snot rag. "EW! NANA!"

"What?" Nana sniffles.

"DON'T USE A BOOK AS A TISSUE!"

She nods and Quartz starts cleansing the book thoroughly. I scowl up at the sky and I raise a brow when I see the clouds turning gray. "Hey, Maki," Ikuto addresses me.

"What," I state.

"Who's in your family?"

"A step-dad, a mom, me, anything else?"

He's silent.

_I want to be…a friend._

Ikuto has been letting me walk by myself for five minutes, and now I know why; we weren't far from the therapist office. I groan and bite my thumb, walking in and seeing the room is completely filled! I sigh and slide down the wall next to the door, taking my laptop out and logging on, scrolling the multiple games Mommy had chosen (I'm getting P*SSED now at having to call her Mommy; why not Mom?). I huff and take out a small sewing needle I found and start pricking my skin. A hand stops me once again and I look up to some stranger. He's tall and muscular, wearing a therapist outfit of a normal suit and glasses. I raise a brow. This handsome dude is a therapist? "Uh…"

"Hello," he smiles. "Are you here for an appointment?"

I slowly slide out pepper spray behind me. "Y-Yeah…"

"Why don't you come with me to get checked in, huh?" he gently laughs.

I gulp. "I-IKUTO!"

The therapist raises a brow and Ikuto runs in, watching my sitting figure stare up at the therapist with wide, scared eyes. The dude stands and waves to Ikuto. "Hello! Are you with this young lady?"

I run behind Ikuto, not forgetting anything. "G-GIRL! I'M A GIRL!"

Ikuto pats the back of my head and glares at the therapist. "We'll wait."

Mr. Therapist is a bit confused, but he nods and walks off. Ikuto turns around and kneels in front of me, ruffling my hair. I gulp and he smirks, patting my head and standing, catching my left hand in his right and sitting me back down to where I was, Yoru, Nana, and Quartz sitting on my shoulders. He walks into the room and I reopen the laptop. Quartz goggles at some of them and Nana directs to several, but Yoru… "Hey look…what's this?"

I blink down to where he's pointing and squint. It looks like some pirates game. Why would Mom put that (I'm sick of the 'Mommy' now)? I click on it and Yoru claps, the other two goggling at the screen. I read the game info.

_Swords and Skulls is a fun way to interact with friends! Using the Caribbean Pirates from seventeen hundred, this game can be translated and easy to control._

Not a lot, but I'm interested. Yoru nods and I click 'REGISTER'.

Then Ikuto is shoved into the wall.


	7. Dr Rae

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 7_

**Dr. Rae **

I yelp and swing out the pepper spray, looking up to some red-faced guy with a cane. He scowls at Ikuto, but then he notices me. The fact that he's twenty-something and looking at me with seductive eyes is creepy, so I yelp and press the button and the spray flies, coating his eyes and making him scream. Two guys restrain him and Ikuto walks over to me, a huge purple bruise on his upper forehead. I blink and he sits down next to me. "You're signed in."

I roll my eyes. How many chapters is it going to take for ONE APPOINTMENT? I sigh and look at the computer to see some basic stuff for a register. Ikuto reads over my shoulder and raises a brow. "What?" I snap. He taps the rating, which is T. I growl. "So?"

"Last time I checked, you're eleven," he shrugs, folding his arms behind his head and resting against the wall.

"And?" I snap. "It's a game. There's no sex, so it's safe!"

"If there was, your mother would have to wash your eyeballs, Maki."

I roll my eyes and enter a username 'Ikutohater11'. The password (future references): IkUto1SuCKs7. Email: Maki-Kia . Birth: (it is 2012) January 16, 2001. To tell you the truth…my birthday's in two days. I click 'next' and Quartz claps with glee. Of course this game is a make your own character. Yoru goggles and I flick him behind the head for no apparent reason. It's not surprising he hasn't seen something like this, since I doubt Ikuto is one for these games. I pick the gender (female), hair (hazel and in a high ponytail), eyes (blue and fairly large), skin (albino), weight appearance (thin), height (6'5" just to be fun), and the clothes to start with, since the present ones the character has are torn up (start out in a prison) (light green cotton shirt with short puffy sleeves, a black skirt, silver knee boots, a slanted black captain's hat with a long raven feather). I even put a scar on the right shoulder to be a bit pirate realistic. I click next for the name. I ponder and type in 'Mai Tam'. I click register and then…

"Maki Kia!" someone calls.

I'm glad I didn't actually log in. I shut down the laptop and case it, walking into the room with Ikuto pushing me forward. Yoru hugs my ear, Nana is cheering, and Quartz is presenting a 'Good luck!' banner. I smile at the effort and Yoru floats to Ikuto's shoulder. I look up to a white counter, an aged woman with thick glasses and wrinkles ALL over, deep red lipstick smeared all over her fat, crinkled lips, staring down at me, long and plump fingers clutching the counter edge. I gulp. "P-Present?"

She nods and jabs a thumb to the door. "First door on the left. Young boy, I'm afraid you'll have to stay in the room."

I walk away into the hall and shove through the instructed door, screaming and shutting it immediately, running back into the room and clinging to Ikuto's waist. "DON'T MAKE ME GO! PLEASE FOR HEAVEN ALL MIGHTY!"

He blinks down. "What's so bad?"

That therapist from earlier walks in.

"Hello!" he greets. "Excuse me, but I believe you have an appointment with me."

Ikuto faces the woman. "Can you please let me go? She's not one for people."

I point to him and nod rapidly. The woman, stubbornly, shakes her head. "Either she goes alone, or the appointment will be canceled."

Ikuto sighs and looks at Yoru, who floats over to my shoulder and I smile a bit, walking into the hall again and follow the therapist into the room. I read his tag says 'Dr. Rae'. "Sit," he points to a chair.

I shake my head. "I'd prefer to stand."

"Very well. Have some water."

"No thanks. I'd prefer to dehydrate."

He blinks. "Okay…what about some lemonade?"

"Hate it."

"Soda?"

"What kind?"

"Um…"

"Look," I glare, "get this over with please."

Nana gives me a thumbs up. Quartz leans into my ear. "Character Change: To a girl who is observant."

The teal quarter note appears and I ponder before the understanding. Culture includes books, and there is I Spy. I see a bottle of something on the desk and raise a brow. I gasp at the name (one I'm NOT mentioning due to puzzling it together the easy way), and run for it, grabbing it and running out, skidding into the room and sliding on the floor, the bottle flying into Ikuto's forehead. "Hey!" he grunts. "Huh?" He picks up the bottle and raises a brow. "What the…"

The therapist runs in, panting. "I can explain!"

The woman comes over and reads the label, gasping and turning to Dr. Rae. "How dare you try and use this medication on the poor child!"

I crawl behind Ikuto, trembling. He sighs and hands the woman the bottle, handing me the laptop and resting a hand on my right shoulder blade, his right pocketed. "Let's get you home."

I nod and look back once to see Dr. Rae talking in rapid pace. I scoot closer to Ikuto and he rubs my shoulder blade in comfort. When we exit the building, it lowers. I shut my eyes and grit my teeth, the forehead pulsing. "I nearly got drugged and _NOW _you act?"

He chuckles, pocketing his left hand as well. "Hey, you have to give credit for the fact that you couldn't see it coming."

I sigh and keep walking. Man, he REALLY gets on my nerves!


	8. 12th Birthday

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 8_

**12th Birthday**

Today's my birthday. Whoop. As usual, the step (which Mom explained the bikini situation was simply her dares [that explains A LOT]) has to work, Mom is panicking because she has to work to and Ikuto and Yoru, haven't seen them since yesterday, which they just sat on my roof all day. I sigh and scratch my head, Quartz having drawn up an outfit and used some brush to make it, so now I'm wearing a light purple T-shirt with a butterfly at the bottom left and black pants, the black combat boots down there and my hair still longer. It's damp from having to try and wash the dye out, but that's a fail completely. I have a little white baseball cap and the chain is still there. I sigh and tug the shirt a bit, walking out of the room with my IPod and the earphones, trudging down the stairs and walking to the kitchen counter for the laptop, logging onto Swords and Skulls. I'm standing in that prison, the instructions rolling up the screen on the left. I see there's a small chat box.

_Huda Jig-Anyone on? _

_Mai Tam-Present!_

_Huda Jig-Are you new here?_

_Mai Tam-Yep! _

_Huda Jig-Cool. Hey, do you need help getting out of jail?_

_Mai Tam-Nah, I just need a school to go to._

_Huda Jig-Real life?_

_Mai Tam-Yep. I'm supposed to go sometime to the fifth grade. _

_Huda Jig-REALLY? Wow, that's so cool! Hey, why don't you come to my school? It'd be fun!_

I think about it. _Mai Tam-I'll ask my mom._

"Hey Mom!" I call.

She appears with dramatic streams of tears. "What happened to Mommy?"

"I think I found a school!"

Huda types up the info and Mom reads it, smiling and jumping. "YES! YES! Oh, but I have to WORK TODAY! OH CRUD! AH! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?"

The doorbell rings and I run to answer.

"Guess who?"

"Santa," I snap.

"Wrong," Ikuto chuckles.

"Oh shut up!"

I open the door and he takes a step in, chuckling. I huff and go over to the laptop. _Mai Tam-Sorry, have to go. Some JACK AS* came in._

_Huda Jim-Trust me, a JACK AS* is this guy I know who won't stop goofing around at times…_

_Mai Tam-Wait…blue hair and eyes?_

_Huda Jim-Yeah?_

_Mai Tam-seventeen, JACKAS*?_

_Huda Jim-*Nods*_

_Mai Tam-Oh crud…cat-like?_

_Huda Jim- IKUTO'S THERE WITH YOU?_

_Mai Tam-SAVE ME!_

_Huda Jim-Hold on, I think I see your house._

_Mai Tam-How would you interpret that?_

_Huda Jim-HE'S NOT HARD TO SPOT!_

_Huda Jim-Logged._

I log myself and glare at Ikuto. "What?" he chuckles.

"Do you love the younger women or something?" I mutter.

"Oh hello!" Mom greets him. "Could you watch Maki PLEASE?"

"NO!" I scream.

"Sure thing," Ikuto smirks.

Suddenly, everything's so…hot. I feel the back of my neck to find it blazing, my heart racing, arms having searing pains, eyes blurring, head aching, and suddenly, I don't have control of myself. Mom thanks him and rushes out, closing the door behind her. I'm just standing here. Nana and Quartz come down and scream once they see me, trying their best to keep the sharp objects away. Ikuto doesn't get it, but I run for a drawer and snatch out a large butcher knife, making Nana and Quartz scream and try to prevent me from going into the bathroom, but I'm faster. _I'm not a kid anymore! I can watch myself!__** No you can't…**__a voice? Why does it sound like Dad? SHUT UP! __**You're just a little baby. Just a baby. Just a worthless baby who can't do anything…**__SHUT UP! __**Why…**_

_**You're even irresponsible enough to let Mia die.**_

_SHUT UP! _"STOP IT MAKI!"

I open my apparently closed eyes and I'm looking up to the bathroom ceiling. Someone is restraining my hand and I can feel the 'X' starting to carve itself. I blink and someone pins me to the floor, unlike my kneeling position. Ikuto is choking my wrist by holding it to the tile a bit away from me. I turn my head slightly to see the butcher knife slightly stained with blood. I notice he's also choking my other wrist and I try to fight it so I can find out the blood source. I slip it out and feel at my left side of the neck, seeing I had apparently reached over and started slicing my throat. I blink out some confused tears and stare up at Ikuto. Nana, Quartz, and Yoru are panicking like wild, probably worried about what I was trying to do, if that was even me. Ikuto removes the knife out of my hand by raising my right wrist, the hand with the knife, and slamming it back down to make my hand open up. He grabs my left wrist again and pins it, a bit angry I can tell.

"What…" I blink. "What happened?"

He relaxes a bit and gets off my wrists, although his knees are still at the sides of my thighs. I blush and he chuckles, raising his hands. "I'm getting off."

He stands and hauls me up, the doorbell ringing. I blink and rush out. "Com-AH!" Of course I had to skip a step and barrel into the door, knocking it down and someone screaming as they try to run. I slam into the wall in front of the front yard and groan, rubbing my head. "Hey, are you okay…"

"Amu," she says, "and yeah, what about you?"

"Not really," I whine.

I feel a breeze and look up where my legs are now over my head to see my pants slipped down from the rolling. I hear a low whistle and blush, snapping my face to the door where Ikuto and Yoru are. I squeak and pull my pants into their appropriate position. "PERVERT!" I scream.

"IKUTO!" Amu scolds. I see she's my age probably, pink hair in a spiky high ponytail and her eyes aren't visible much, but I can tell she's wearing some form of a school uniform.

"He did it!" he jabs a thumb at Yoru.

"Why would I whistle for a girl that you've been stalking?" Yoru chuckles.

"Why you…" Ikuto shuts his eyes, gritting his teeth and his head pulsing.

Yoru yelps and flies behind my ear. "Help me!"

I stand up, Yoru hanging still, and dust the pants, scowling up at Ikuto. "If you peeked, you shouldn't blame it on someone else."

I just know Yoru is sticking out his tongue. Amu turns to me, hazel eyes sparkling. "Hi, I'm Huda Jim," she chuckles. "You're Mai Tam, huh?"

I nod and walk over to shake her hand. "Or Maki Kia."

She nods. "So, Ikuto causing trouble?"

I nod. "Let's just say he's quite the stalker."

"I'm telling you it's not a choice thing!" he scolds.

Amu turns to him, a brow raised. "What do you mean?"

He walks in and Amu and I exchange looks, following and Nana helping Quartz fix the door. Yoru is laughing and Nana throws something, making me chuckle. A box attached to Amu's hip shakes and three Guardian Characters shoot out. One has pink hair and eyes, a white visor, pink pom-poms, and a sort of cheerleading outfit. There's a little heart on the side of her visor. "I'm Ran!" she greets.

Another has a light blue beret of sorts with a deep blue spade at the side, short blue hair and sparkling sapphire eyes. She has a little sketch pad and a shirt and shorts and a black-gray vest. Nothing that unique. "I'm Miki."

Another has light blonde hair and big green eyes, a green cooking outfit and a hat that looks like it belongs to a nurse with a green clover at a side. "I'm Su!"

I nod and wave. Nana comes up. "I'm Nana!"

"I'm Quartz!" said Guardian flies up, the sound of the door crashing down ringing.

I roll my eyes and pat Quartz on the head along with Nana, going into the Living Room where Amu is sitting on a couch and Ikuto is leaning against a wall. I sit down next to Amu and he clears his throat to signal the Guardian Characters to at least whisper. "Amu, this is Maki, a girl with X-Negative."

"X-Negative?" she wonders.

"An added part of the body for Two-character bearers," he explains. "It's rare, so I was sent to watch her since X-Negatives get deadly fast."

I stand up. "I've had this for five years now, it's not that threatening!"

He shakes his head. "You just tried to kill yourself."

I grow red in the face. "_I _didn't!" I scream. "WHY CAN'T ANYONE SEE THAT?"

"Calm down," Amu rests a hand on my shoulder, allowing me deep breaths. "Ikuto…why are her Guardian Characters still here if 'she' did that?"

I'm glad she used quotes on 'she'. Ikuto huffs like we should get this. "X-Negative marks the _bearer _with an 'X', not the Characters. The Characters are often there for a fighting chance."

I sigh and hug my ribs. Amu blinks for a bit and looks at me. "When did these start again?"

"When I was seven," I answer

"So you're twelve?" she wonders.

I nod. "Today's my birthday."

"Oh congratulations!" she smiles.

A shiver runs up my spine. _Congratulations…_I shrug and feel in a pocket to a small rectangle. I pull out that book from two days ago where Nana found out about my unborn sister who was supposed to be called Mia. I shake the thought out and next thing I know, the book is not in my palm. I freeze and look around to Yoru blinking down at that very page. "Jeez," he practically whispers.

"What?" Ikuto asks him.

I gulp and face Yoru with pleading eyes screaming 'DON'T TELL HIM'. He nods and hands the book to me. I pocket it and Amu claps her hands, smiling at me. "Well, why don't we go and celebrate you?"

I blink. "Me?"

"Yeah, it's _your _birthday!" she chuckles.

I shrug. "Eh, it wouldn't hurt. Let me get my IPod real quick okay?" I run upstairs and skid through the door, grabbing the IPod and the earphones I swear I had with me and bump into someone at the door. I blink up to Ikuto. How'd he catch up? Oh yeah, he's part cat. I blink and blink until I'm bored of it. "What?" I snap.

"Just waiting for you," he smirks, putting a hand in _my _pocket.

I blush wildly. "HEY! DON'T PUT YOUR HAND THERE!" I swing my arms until he takes his hand back, walking down the stairs. I blink. "What the F*CK was _that _about?" I wonder out loud. I put a hand in my pocket and gasp.

The book is gone.

_I want to be…a friend._

"Hey, this is a pretty good place," Amu informs, pointing up to a shop's title.

I shrug. "Might as well give it a shot."

I follow her in, us having lost Ikuto an hour ago, and look around, minding our own business and being grown up enough to take care of ourselves for a bit. I set my eyes on a little necklace with a silver skull and cross swords pendant with black thread and two crimson beads on each side of the pendant. I check the price. Yep, not enough money for it. I huff and walk off to another shelf to find assorted books. They're all in Japanese, so I just put the ones I took off back and walk through the whole store, but my eyes keep flying to the pendant! I turn around and smack into someone, looking up to that mental guy two days ago. Jeez, this is not a good birthday.

"Hello!" he greets; most of his toothy grin is yellow or red. "How are you?"

I back up a step or two, the guy just following. I gulp. "A-Amu?"

No response from her is heard. The guy laughs and leans. "How about you come with me to find your friend, huh?"

I run past and out of the store, the guy following me in a sprint. I keep running off and I'm panicking. "IKUTO! IKUTO! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU F*CKING PERVERTED CAT?" No answer. I push past people, those people not really paying attention. "AMU! IKUTO! YORU! NANA! QUARTZ!"

"Yes?" I hear Quartz and Nana squeak next to me.

I scream and turn around in a 360, making them slightly confused. The guy is now three feet away, stopping. My legs are paralyzed and Nana nods. "Character Change: To a girl who is as fast as lightening!"

The purple rose pendant appears, but soon disappears. I'm too scared for it to work. Quartz yelps. "What are we going to do?"

"Run?" I snap at her, turning and running past. "IKUTO! AMU! YORU! IKUTO!"

Nana is concentrated on something and Quartz points to a pet store. "I can sense Yoru in there!"

I nod, trusting a Guardian Character to know where another is, and I run in, the two characters clinging onto my shoulders. I look around and Nana points up to a 'Cats' sign. Well that should've been obvious. I push forward and my heart pumps, unsteady and the 'X' starting to sting into existence. I hold it back, since I'd rather find someone to ask help and not just break out into hysterics or something. I skid to a stop and look around the 'Cat' allies (not a good speller in panic people). There's no sign of them. Quartz points to the 'Dog' section, making me raise a brow and just go ahead, slamming into a shelf and prying my face off to have no sight of that creepy dude. I huff and stroll through the alley and freeze. Someone has their hand in my pocket and their lips nibbling my ear.

"Got you."

I scream and jerk away, turning to see a chuckling Ikuto. I grit my teeth, but seeing how scared I am, burst into tears and hug his waist, probably making him confused as he**. No matter, he pats the back of my head and holds my upper back with the other hand. Nana and Quartz are nearly suffocating Yoru with hugs, and I look behind Ikuto to scream again, making Ikuto gap and turn around quickly. The dude is right there. I clutch the back of Ikuto's gray jacket and he pats my head, probably now understanding why I was so scared when he actually spoke. The guy is, like, frozen for some reason. I blink a raise a brow. I sneak a container of dog food into my hand just incase I need to chuck something. The guy takes a step forward, now bonkers I can tell.

"Get away from her," the dude growls, hiding something behind his back.

I gasp at the slight flicker of a knife and push myself in front of Ikuto, chucking the can at the dude's head and sticking hard, pushing Ikuto away from the guy. "Ikuto run! He's got a butcher knife!"

He blinks and I keep pushing. The guy charges and accidentally stabs my left platform. Remember the other day I was carving 'filthy' into that same body part? It was deep, so it's still there and that's where he stabbed. I kick him in the stomach and he looses grip of the knife. A store employee walks by and gasps at the scene as I try to rip the knife out, but it's stuck there let me tell you. The guy calls someone on his phone.

The police rush through the shop doors and the guy takes out a gun.

"STAY AWAY FROM US!"

He aims it to my head and swings me in front of him.

I scream.

Suddenly, the guy drops me and gray jacket sleeves wrap around my waist.

Ikuto.


	9. Kidnapping of the Eggs

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 9_

**Kidnapping the Eggs**

Sunday; it's about two weeks from that incident. I haven't seen Ikuto or Yoru, but I've been chatting with Amu online. Mom doesn't know about the 'suicide attempt' I guess you could call it, so she enrolled me into that school Amu goes to. Right now, we're shopping for the uniform, since that's just how it works. I keep telling her that I'm this and this, but she's not buying it, since she's all about precise measurements. I yawn, stretching out my body on the chair I'm sitting on, and something licks my cheek. I yelp and jump off to see a cat in a flower box next to my chair. I sigh and hug my knees on the floor. Man, some reason, I actually _miss _Ikuto sexually harassing me. Even so, he's five years older! Why does he do that anyways? Yet again, it could be the old days when thirty-year-old emperors married eighteen-year-old women or something. I huff and bury my face in my knees. I feel someone lightly tug my light green turtleneck sleeve and twist my head a bit to see Nana and Quartz.

"How are you?" Quartz wonders.

"Bored," I admit. "How's your house coming along?"

"It's fun!" Nana smiles. "We're almost done, so that's a bit sad…"

"You could always improve it," I remind them.

"Yeah!" Quartz cheers. "Hey, do you need help with the uniform?"

I shrug. "It'd get this over with."

I stand and a tape measurer appears, Quartz rushing off into the racks of clothes and flies back, pale as snow. "What's wrong?" Nana wonders.

"I…hate…cats…" she pants.

I smile and look where she was. "Is it Ikuto?"

"No," she shakes her head. "It's a literal white cat with brown patches."

I huff and frown. "D*MN it…"

"Cheer up!" Pom-poms appear in Nana's hands. "Just stretch a bit, okay? Character Change: To a girl who's energized and stretching!"

The pendant appears and I feel my spirits lift. I stretch my arms and legs, my spine straightening as I go. When I'm done about five minutes later, I smile at Nana and the pendant disappears. I walk into the mob of racks and Quartz follows, pointing out the pieces that fit and were appropriate for school. I take a red checkered skirt that goes to the mid-thigh, red checkered knee-socks, small black Mary Jane shoes, a white shirt, and a black little jacket that seems like it's for school. Quartz double checks and leads Nana and I to the accessory section, making Nana raise a brow and me groan slightly.

"Oh why?" I groan.

"It's fun!" Quartz cheers. "Trust me on this please?"

I sigh and nod, making her cheer and lead us through. She picks up several hair pins and holds them against my head and shakes her head at all of them, saying I'm apparently so unique, there's barely anything that will perfectly match with me. I feel someone tap my shoulder and look back to some teen girl with long chocolate hair and coffee eyes, a black shirt and a skirt with black knee-socks and Mary Jane shoes. She has a black head band and a girl next to her wearing the same thing, save the headband is replaced with a cloth black rose, gasps slightly. "She looks like Hino!"

"Well, well," the first laughs. "You must be Maki Kia. My brother has told me a lot about you."

I blink, not talking. I look back and Quartz points to another hairclip, so I take it into my hands and twist it around. It's a silver butterfly, but when I hold it against my head, she shakes her head. I sigh and put it back, the second girl offering me a little clip. "Try this."

I blink at the black cat bracelet. Brother…I growl and walk further down the accessory section, grumbling under my breath and looking around for 'that perfect accessory' Quartz has her heart set on. I feel something rub against my thigh and freeze, looking behind me to a cat on a bench. "Where are all these cats coming from?" I whisper to Nana.

"No idea," she shrugs.

I huff and think for a second. Can cats talk to one another? I shake the thought out of my head. Why would I want to get sexually harassed by Ikuto? It's sick! Yet…it's somehow nice to see him smile…I slap myself and take out a sewing needle, pricking my thumb and sucking the blood lightly. Jeez, can that dude get out of my head? I take out my IPod and the earphones and slip the phones onto my head, looking through and nodding my head for the first three seconds of 'It's All Over' by THREE DAYS GRACE. I pick up a small rose bracelet and set it back. I look at Quartz and Nana. "Can one of you guys help me with this?" I mouth, since I'd prefer not to accidentally scream.

Quartz nods and offers a little butterfly charm, but I shake my head. I'm not an F*CKING butterfly, jeez. I feel someone tap my shoulder and ignore them. Someone flicks my head and I turn placidly to pause to song and rip the earphones off: it's the hottest boy at my old school (one who wasn't actually making fun of me), Kio Maya. I feel my face redden and wave shyly. "Hi," he greets with a smile. "How've you been Ma?"

I blush harder at the nickname. "Oh same old same old," I whisper. "So what brings you here?"

I see the door open and spot a Guardian Character entering, but I can't make out which. "Oh, my family decided to move a bit, so now we're at the edge of town."

"Really," I state. "Well, see you later."

"Wait," he grips my elbow. "Want to hang out later?"

I shake my head. "I have school tomorrow and I'm waiting for a jerk to visit. Besides, my mom wants us to all go out to dinner."

"Wow. Maybe I could meet you?" he asks.

Curse his sparkling green eyes and perfect russet hair, and the tanned skin. "Well…you could ask your parents and c-call?" I shrug.

"Great!" he smiles. I hand him a small slip with my number. "See you later!" he waves, walking off.

I huff and turn back to the accessories, those two girls coming up next to me on each side. "Looks like someone has a date!"

I huff and scoot away. Someone taps my shoulder and I look back to Amu, smiling. Nana and Quartz rush to Ran, Miki, and Su to say hello while Amu tugs me away from the girls. "Who was that?" she wonders.

"Kio Maya," I sigh. "He's the HOTTEST boy at my old school."

"Opinion?" Amu chuckles.

I shake my head. "It was a ballot. I have to admit, he is pretty handsome."

"What about Ikuto?"

I freeze. "H-HUH?"

"Don't you think Ikuto is a bit handsome?"

I face away, crossing my arms. "W-why would I say some p-perverted ca-cat is handsome-e?" I stubbornly snap.

She smirks. "You like him huh?"

I sigh and look down. "Oh shut up. How are you to know?"

She chuckles and pats my back. "Well, you could always ask him to stop by."

"I haven't seen him for at least two weeks," I remind her. "He's probably off doing something better than stalking me."

We laugh a bit and Amu looks at something on the counter. "Wow, that angel looks like it is fit for you."

I stare at an object in a case. It's an angel bag chain with crimson cloth wings and a white and crimson beaded halo, the dress white lace with crimson velvet ribbons tied around her waist into a bow of sorts. The body is porcelain and the face is china glass, the eyes painted soft blue and the hair crimson, the skin snow albino. I smile and see the little cloth heart and my heart falls at the price: $50.

_I want to be…a friend._

_Huda Jim-So, we're meeting at the Mall and eating in the first restaurant next to it?_

_Mai Tam-Yep. See you there._

_Huda Jim-Logged._

I log to and shut down the laptop, tugging my deep blue dress down to my knees and tugging at the black Mary Jane shoes Mom wants me to break in before school tomorrow. I have the silver chain and my long black hair is starting to return to the natural hazel, so there are a few hazel streaks. It's held up high and with that silver butterfly clip Quartz picked out, seeing we didn't have anything else to lead on. There are no socks, just tan pantyhose, and there's light pink lipstick neatly applied. I have a small amount of light blush and my brown contacts are out, revealing deep blue eyes. Yep, I want to go back to normal. No more hiding. I pick up a kitchen knife on the counter and Mom walks in, witnessing me gently placing the knife away. She runs over and hugs the air out.

"OH I'M SO PROUD OF YOUR PROGRESS!"

Jeez, Ikuto said that X-Negative was suicide. "SOMEONE SAVE ME FROM THIS!"

Step-Dad walks in with a small camera. "Honey, that's enough."

I scowl, but I just huff and Mom sets me down. I'm going to make this peaceful for them. Mom practically runs to the door (even though she's wearing high-heels) and opens the door for all of us to exit. We're walking, Nana and Quartz flying behind me and then sitting on my shoulders. "I can't wait!" Quartz squeaks. "I really hope Kio can make it!"

My phone rings and Nana hands it to me, so I look at the number to see it is Kio. "Hello?" I greet.

"Hi, it's Kio!" he greets. "Sorry for the late reply, but my parents had to work later. They said yes!"

"That's great!"

"Hey, where is this again?"

"The first restaurant next to the Mall."

"Got it. See you soon, Ma!"

I hang up and Mom and Dad get phone calls. "Oh great," Step-Dad sighs. He turns to me. "Hey, why don't you go on ahead and we'll meet you there?"

I shrug and walk off, my parents going the opposite way for work. "Cheer up," Nana pats my cheek. "It could be worse."

"Yeah…" I shrug.

Something rubs against my ankles and I look down to a tan cat. JEEZ! WHERE IS THE PERVERTED FELINE! I take a deep breath and start fast-pacing. It's not an hour walk, but it's not short either. Quartz smiles and pokes my chin. "I know a short-cut!"

"It better be short," I mumble. Do you know how many times I've heard that and it turned out longer?

"I have a map, and there's a short cut!" she cheers. "Nana?"

"Follow me!" she cheers after Quartz hands her the highlighted map.

So I go left, right, up a wall, which I'm thankful I don't get dirty, left, right, up, left, left, right, and scale up another wall, struggling with that being in a _dress_. I huff and mumble, a cat pouncing on my face and making me fall. "AH!"

I slam into the ground and Quartz helps me up, instantly cleaning off the outfit and me scowling at the two. "Are you positive this is a shortcut?"

"We could do a Character Change," Nana suggests.

"Please," I nod my head.

"Character Change: To a girl who can jump and fly!"

"What?" I squeak before my legs jump on their own and over the wall, landing on the feet perfectly. I hover a bit and the pendant disappears, so I'm back on the ground. I'm slightly laughing. "That was cool!"

Nana and Quartz smile and I feel my abdomen, the area…warm. I smile and run off, laughing and racing Nana, Quartz cheering me on next to me. Sooner or later, I ram into the restaurant. Wow, that really was a short-cut. I smile and walk in, seeing Amu and her family on a bench. Kio is across from them and I smile. Amu's Mom stands. "Where are you're parents?"

"They had to do a quick errand," I smile. "They said they'd catch up."

Someone, I assume Amu's little sister, tackles my calves. "Hi, me Ami-cha!"

I blink and wave slowly. "Hi…I'm Maki."

Wow…the X-Negative is barely noticeable! Amu, Kio, and their families are really saving me the suffering! Amu walks up, prying Ami off. "Hello Maki. Is that Kio?"

She points to the russet beauty. "Yep," I whisper, slightly chuckling. "He's cute huh?"

She shrugs. "I still think Ikuto is the one for you."

I freeze, jumping back and waving my arms like crazy in front of me. "WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!" I gap. "NO WAY! NOT IN A MILLION YEARS! NOT IF HE WAS THE LAST MALE ON EARTH!"

"Why not?" she laughs.

"Because," I start, freezing immediately after. Why _am _I saying that? Why am I being stubborn? I shake my head and sigh. "Oh whatever."

She pats my back and they walk ahead, but before I can tae a step something is nibbling my ear. I sigh and feel behind me to a cat. I sigh and tug it off, seeing it's a small kitten. I sigh and a girl rushes over. "Kitty! I found you!" I hand the cat over and the girl nearly strangles him. "Thank you!"

She runs off and I walk further into the restaurant, actually loosing the group! I curse and someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn to see a teen with hazel hair and purple like eyes. Isn't she that singer…Utau? "What?" I ask.

"Have you seen a guy with blue hair and eyes, seventeen?" she wonders.

I shake my head. "Well, I have, but not for two weeks."

She nods. "Where did you see him last?"

"The pet store in that square," I shrug. "Anything else?"

She shakes her head and walks off, leaving me to try and navigate. I stop and look at my hip to see a tiny rectangle designed like a house, save the door. I lift up the roof to see the two eggs in there, slightly shaking with snores. I quietly set the roof back and realize they probably brought that in case somehow. Maybe they can shrink stuff? I sigh and turn around. I feel like screaming or something, but hey, that'd ruin the peace now. I silently curse and walk into the bathroom, standing in front of a sink and leaning on the marble counter, huffing and shaking my head lightly. What am I trying to do? Look for the group. How did I loose them? The cat and the singer. I huff and walk back out, walking into someone's back.

"Sorry!"

The person turns and I blush wildly. It's Kio. "Oh there you are!" he hugs me. "Where'd you go off to?"

"Uh…there was this cat…" I rub the back of my neck.

Did I mention that the dress is sleeveless? "Hey," he blinks, "where'd that come from?"

He points to the scar on my right shoulder, the one that stops a quarter down my right boob. Of course, he can see about half since it stretches up to behind me to the tip of my shoulder blade. I gulp. "Don't remember," I lie. "Why don't we go to the group?"

He nods and holds my hand. I can see there's a little room for dancing, which I find that this is like American fancy or whatever. Well, that's alright with me, since this _is _new. I hear someone whistle and refuse to look, having a fair bet it's not Yoru or Ikuto, and sitting next to Amu at the table, unfortunately near the very room. "Hello!" she waves. "So, how's your day?"

"The same as a few hours ago," I state.

She shrugs. "It could change."

I nod and sip some water in front of me. "Hey, Amu," I address. "Have you seen Ikuto?"

"Not a lot lately, why?" she wonders.

"Someone was looking for him," I state.

"Did she look like Utau, the famous singer?" I nod. "That explains it."

I don't bother to ask what she means. Suddenly, some weight off my hip is removed. I blink up at Amu and look down to my hip. I cover my mouth.

THE HOUSE IS GONE!

Amu nods. "Um…" I say. "Can I be excuse for a quick moment?" Mrs. Maya nods and I jump off, running into the bathroom and practically ripping my hair out of the ponytail. What am I going to do! I slap myself and remind myself. Someone whistled in the dancing room, so maybe that means the egg thief is in there? I slap my forehead and run out, sneaking into the dance room and looking frantically around for any signs of the house. "Nana?" I whisper. "Quartz?" No answer. I huff and hear someone chuckling. I turn to see Yoru. Wait…why is he here? I also notice the house is with him and stuck with duck tape. "Yoru, give that back."

"No!" he laughs. "I'm on a happy walk and I want to have some fun!"

He flies off, so I'm stuck creeping along the walls. "Yoru," I hiss. "This isn't fun or funny!" No answer. Did he disappear into the dancers? I sigh. "Yoru!" No response. "Get back here you thieving kitten!"

He flies up, hands on hips and the house GONE! "I'm not a kitten!"

I yelp and grab him, shaking him back and forth until his head is spinning. "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HOUSE?" I whisper, even though it's all strained.

He shrugs. "I-don't…KNOW!"

I let him go and slide my back down the wall, hugging my knees and feeling tears fall. "Nana?" I mouth. "QUARTZ?

I sigh and bury my face in my knees. This sucks. I feel someone pat my head and I look up to Kio. "Hey, loose something?"

"Yeah, my dignity," I joke.

He laughs and sits down next to me. "Are you okay, Ma?"

I shake my head. "I had this little house with me that a friend gave me. I don't know how, but it got lost. I think someone took it."

He shrugs. "We could ask around?"

I look at the dancers and yelp when I see demonic faces. "Uh…yeah…um…"

"Scared?" he wonders.

I nod. Might as well be honest about it. "I'm not the people person!"

He chuckles. "Well, I'll look around. You stay right here, okay?"

I nod obediently and he walks off, so I stand and cross my arms, looking around worriedly. Yoru squeaks and hides behind a vase. Huh? Someone licks some of the tears off my right cheek and I yelp, turning to Ikuto. Oh NOW he decides to show up? "PERVERT!" I accuse.

He laughs. "Nice to see you to," he leans down next to my ear, hands in pockets, "_Ma_."

I blush. Was he listening? I look around with only my eyes to see that girl with the cat. Oh crud I was right! I huff and step back from Ikuto. "What do you want, Ikuto?" I snap.

He's still leaning. Jeez is his spine frozen like that or something? "I wanted to see you, of course."

I laugh coldly. "Nice one. Now if you excuse me, I'm looking for something!"

"It looked like you were just standing here."

My temper steams. "Ugh, s-shut up!" I hiss.

He laughs softly and takes my right hand in his own. "How about we dance for a bit in exchange of the whereabouts of your eggs?"

I scowl and sigh. Jeez, if he's going through _this _much trouble. "Fine, but only if you swear that I get the eggs back."

He nods and forms a cross over his heart. "I swear."

I huff and he drags me into the dancing circle, well, the outermost of it. Since I'm, again, maybe a foot shorter (the half being a small exaggeration), I have to get on my toes in order to hold his shoulder, which he chuckles at and I kick his shin, making him freeze in a mid-chuckle and glare down at me. I laugh and he smiles, so guess what that means? He jerks me in a twirl and when it's done, he hand his hands gripping my shoulders and I'm dizzy. I feel like I should throw up on him, but what would Kio think? Oh great…MY LOVE LIFE IS OUT OF CONTROL! Granted Kio and Ikuto are both incredibly handsome, but Ikuto is a pervert and Kio isn't! I sigh and look over out of the room. I mouth 'help me' to Amu who gets it, but she can't seem to be excused. I gulp and Ikuto laughs at my misery, making me grow red and I freeze altogether.

_**You're just his little play toy. He's a filthy, no good bad luck charm. **_

"Shut up," I mouth to myself.

"Hey," I hear Ikuto chuckle. "Where did the blue eyes come from?"

I blink. So he noticed. "Um…" _WHAT DO I DO? _"Contacts?"

_NO! NO! NO! Come on! That's a BIT TOO CREEPY! Ugh…_ Ikuto chuckles. "Who are you trying to impress, huh?"

I gulp. "N-Nobody!"

I now noticed that Ikuto had pulled me out of the previous trace by resuming our dancing. He lifts up my chin as we both spin around a little. "You can tell me. It'll be our little secret."

_**Yeah…haven't you noticed that what he's wearing is a SCHOOL uniform. I bet he has a lot of buddies he can run off to and make fun of you behind your back. **_I feel the 'X' carve itself and stop. "Uh…Ikuto, I think I need to return to the others…"

He steps out of the circle, dragging me along, and kneels in front of me. "Why would that be? I thought you wanted your eggs back."

_CR*P. _"I'm just feeling a little sick is all…"

He places the back of his hand on my forehead. "Hmm, you _do _feel a little warm…alright. Another time then."

He stands to go, but I notice he didn't return the eggs. "Hey!" He turns. "A swear is a swear I-"

He lifts up crossed fingers and walks out. _**Told you…**_I fall onto my knees and stare down. Nana…Quartz…that stupid black cat…I rush up and run to the table, grabbing Amu's wrist and dragging her behind me to the restaurant exit. She stops me though. "Hey!" she snaps her fingers in front of my face. "What's wrong?"

"THAT STUPID…" I grab the clip and chuck it at a wall. "He took them!" I sob. "He F*CKING took them!"

"Maki-cha…" I break down crying, tears splashing all over the dress. She kneels in front of me and pats my head, the hair now falling down my back. "Maybe he'll come back tomorrow." I feel the 'X' digging in and clutch my head. Amu gasps and helps me up, turning to what I assume her family. She says something I can't catch and helps me outside to the cool air. "Hey, Maki," she pats my back. "What about we look around a bit, try to clear your head so you can get ideas on how to get them back…"

I shake my head, and then I freeze. My heart feels like it's made of ice. _**Useless…**_ "Useless…" I repeat.

"Huh?" she jumps, her eye twitching in a heavy load of confusion.

_**Filthy…don't you want to die? **_"Want to…die…" I mutter.

Amu grabs my shoulders and shakes roughly. "Not good! Uh…Ran! Miki! Su!" Her Guardian Characters come up, having stayed at the table thinking she would come back apparently. "Do you know anything about X-Negative?"

"What?" Ran gasps.

"That's bad…" Miki sighs.

"What triggered it?" Su pleads.

"Ikuto took Nana and Quartz!"

"Oh no!" Su cries.

"Don't worry!" Ran tries to comfort. "Miki and I will try and convince him. Su, try remake honey and see if that works!"

"Okay!" Su squeaks. Miki and Ran go off and Su and Amu push me into a place not occupied. "Character Transform!"

"Heart: Unlock! Character Transformation: Amulet Club!" Amu rushes. "Remake honey!" Suddenly, a burst of sweetness surrounds me, but some of it turns to ice. That doesn't matter, the 'X' fades a bit. I feel at the scar on my right shoulder and the sweetness goes away, the scar remaining. I clutch the area. Why didn't that curse go away? I look down. "Hey, Maki-cha…"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I glare up at her, tears leaking. "JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

I run off, the dress tearing at the bottom and my scar still there, taunting me. I hate this. IKUTO CAN GO AND DIE!


	10. Shattered

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 10_

**Shattered**

"Hurry up or you'll be late!" Step-Dad laughs from downstairs.

The rat poison is still on the desk, just in case if he decides to come. The monster trap is under the window, there are electric wires hooked up to the lock, and my uniform is all set, save the accessory, but for now I just have the black messenger bag with a picture of Dad and I on it. I trudge out and slump downstairs, the brown contacts scratching my eyes and my hair completely black again, the length not changing so I could put it up in a high ponytail. All makeup is removed and Mom smiles, saying her 'little baby is so adorable', but I ignore the both of them, taking a small bottle of milk out of the fridge and sticking it in the bag, I walk out, a blank face taking over, and just walking down the street, doing nothing but walking. I want to see Nana, to see Quartz again, but that stupid cat took them. If he wants to play, then that means I don't.

I walk through the school gates a little while later and walk further into the grounds, people staring and boys gawking. I huff and heave my bag over my right shoulder, my right set of fingers curled up around the strap. I have a hand stuffed in the left jacket pocket and I'm looking down. Can I just say that I really hate Ikuto now?

I walk through the large doors into the main building. I bump into someone and side-step, but they catch my shoulder. I look back placidly only to have to look up to those two girls in the shop yesterday. "Hey," the first with the headband addresses, "are you alright?"

I look back to my destination and back-slap her arm away. "F*CKING teens…you always think you can toy with the youth."

I walk off with them confused. Good, I don't care. I freeze for a second. Why are they even here? I shake my head and keep walking, bumping into another back. I grumble and side-step, but the person catches me. I turn around to some blonde boy with gentle brown eyes and a kind smile. He's wearing the same uniform Ikuto wears. "Hey, are you one of the fifth graders?" I nod. "Oh, can you show me to the star class? I'm having trouble myself. You see, my partner ditched me and I'm not good at navigating…"

"Teen?" I ask.

He nods, laughing nervously. "Yeah, today we have to come here for some special lesson."

I nod, seeing I studied the map, and he follows me into the fifth grade star class. I see an empty seat next to Amu and walk over. "Hey, is this taken?"

She blinks and looks up at me, standing and presenting a hand, smiling, "Hello Maki-cha! I spoke to the school guardians and they said they could help with your," she looks around and leans in, "'issue'."

I nod and she holds her hand for the seat. I sit down and look up to the board. I take out my IPod and lean over next to her. "See this?" I point to the screen, which the cover of BREAKING BENGAMIN'S Phobia is projected. She nods. "That's what everyone wishes for, someone to protect them."

"Maki-cha…" she whispers.

"That's what 'guardians' mean, but guess what? Once they're gone, it's nearly impossible to get them back."

She blinks and I cross my arms, slumping in my chair. That's when boys of our class swarm me with what I think are dishes of desserts? "Please accept our offerings, oh goddess!"

I blink and look at Amu-cha. "You hungry?"

She shrugs and I accept them sadly, splitting them with her and we eat, the teacher coming in and raising a brow. Once I offer a three-layered cake, he forgets it and accepts the 'bribe'. He sets it on his desk and I start passing the desserts to other girls, some snooty chick with russet hair gladly out of reach. "So," the teacher clears his throat, "we have a new student here. Everyone, this is-"

"Sorry I'm late," a haunting voice rings.

I refuse to look at the back of the class, and then I take a second look at the teacher. This is the same guy I saw in front of the dumpster. I guess he isn't bad… "It's okay. Everyone, this is-"

A window breaks and a rock thumps into a wall. The teacher groans and waves his hands in defeat. "Okay, just get to know her later!"

I smile at the luck and yet another rock comes flying, at my head this time. I wince and people laugh, making me slump further. "Okay, new student, I'm Nikaidou-sensei. Shall we start?"

The class mumbles 'yes', and I listen, trying to take my mind off the eyes bearing into the back of my skull.

_I want to be…a friend._

I practically run out of the class, looking around for some girls' bathroom. The snooty russet catches up, and I see _four girls _are with her. Jeez, talk about having no life. "Hello!" she places her hands on her hips as if she over-towers me. "I'm Saaya! Feel free to worship me!"

I raise a brow. "Now why would I do that?"

She freezes and her teeth grit, forehead pulsing. "Very funny…"

"Look," I snap, "I don't like egotistical brats who think they can push everyone around." I talk a little louder. "Now, leave me alone, or I swear the next place you'll be seeing is the Devil's Throne."

I stomp off, steaming. I don't turn and walk into a wall, grumbling and stepping back, someone taking my shoulder. I shrug it off, but the person grabs my elbow, turning me around. It's those two girls _again_. "Look," the second sighs. "We're sorry if we came to any offense yesterday. We were only joking!"

"Yeah," I snap, "joking and teasing and plain toying with are all different. Jeez, just stop talking to me. I'm already P*SSED at one of your classmates."

"Is that why you're so angry?" the first wonders. "Look, people are not the same."

I scoff and walk off, steaming more and more. Jeez, will God give me some strength?

_I want to be…a friend._

P.E, finally. I'm glad I haven't run into Ikuto yet, since I'd rather not get a nasty reputation today. In the P.E uniform, I hang my bag up on a tree, slipping the milk bottle out and unscrewing the cap. I take a swig and suddenly, I'm knocked down, blood leaking out of my forehead. I wince and feel up there, drawing my hand back with blood. I wince at the sting and glare to see some idiotic teens, laughing. "Oh she sure didn't see that coming!"

I sigh and take another swing of the bottle, a rock shattering the structure and the milk pouring out, soaking my uniform to the bone. I'm stuck stiff. "Hey, leave her alone!" that blonde teen steps in front of me.

"Oh it was just a little fun!" one guy complains. "One more rock?"

I stand up, wiping off some of the milk and running to the field, a rock slamming into the back of my head, making me stumble. I trip on someone's foot and my face crashes into the ground. Laughter…that's all that rings in my ears. "Oh she's too easy!"

I refuse to cry. "HEY!" those two girls scream in unison. The second runs up next to me. "You poor thing…"

I slap her hand away. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" I snap. "I don't need useless sympathy!"

"But…"

I stand up, glass cutting into my ankle, and I try to run forward, but the glass is digging deeper. Amu spots me and runs over, wide-eyed. "Maki-cha, you can't go to the field with glass in your ankle!"

"I cut myself up all the time!" I whine. "I can do it!"

"Nana wouldn't want you to," Ran sighs.

I freeze. _**What do they know? **_"Shut up…"

"Huh?" Amu raises a brow.

I walk for the field, the glass in the ankle wedging deeper. I can take this. I've been through this ridiculousness before. Amu follows me and we meet up with the teacher, who sees the ankle. "Eh, you can't participate."

"What?" I gasp.

"You're injured."

"I can do it!"

"Sit at the sidelines, kid."

I sigh and trudge over to a tree, my back pressing hard against the bark and my knees curling up to my chest. I see teens laughing and I bury my face into my knees. _This isn't really fair…I can do this…_I stand up to get my bag, the milk soaking my uniform not at all pleasing, and I notice my bag isn't there. I look up in the tree to see it's not moved higher. I sigh. I was really looking forward to cut myself. I find a piece of glass and pick it up, sitting in against the tree and carving random things into my right arm. That's when those two girls come up. "What are you doing?" the first gasps. "That's not safe!"

I huff and glare at the blood. _Just ignore them. _I keep carving and one of the girls tries to catch my wrist, but I jerk back, scrapping my elbow with glass. I scoot back, glass clawing to the backs of my legs, and I stand up, walking backwards and clutching the glass shard. They try to step forward, but my glare makes them take a step back.

A rock slams into my skull.

This is a bigger rock, so it leaves a nasty cut. I fall back and I hear the laughter echo. I wince and glare up at the sky, seeing eight months ago replay in my head. I growl. "STUPID!"

The girls gasp and next thing you know, I'm sitting up, wiping furious tears out of my head. "STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!" A hand rests on the right hand busy wiping tears away and I glare up to Ikuto. "What do you want?"

He wipes a damp cheek with a thumb. "Calm down."

I slap him in the face, making some of the boys stand. "Hey, you can't do that!"

I stand. "SAYS THE BOYS THROWING ROCKS AT PEOPLE!" I flip the finger. "TRY THAT ON FOR SIZE, PUNKS!"

Ikuto stands, looking down at the ground with the hair hiding his face. "Whatever. I was just trying to help."

"Don't feed me that SH*T," I growl.

I stalk off and something smacks my head, making me fall forward and the boys laugh. "There you go, if it makes you happy."

I raise my face and see it's the house. I smile with relief and open it, my heart shattering. Nana's egg is broken. I tremble and the boys just keep laughing. "What's wrong, huh? Not such a big girl now huh?"

_**Ice…**_I shake my head and cap the house, running out of the field and away, just away. The glass cuts deeper and eventually makes me trip, but in order to save the house I have to twist and land painfully on said ankle. I hear a snap and scream. I wipe tears out and open the house, taking out Quartz's egg and seeing it's coated with duck-tape. "Maki-san!"

"Hold on," I whisper, undoing the tape and her eventually flying out.

"Man that was…" she stares down at Nana's egg. "What…"

"Later," I sigh. "Right now we have to get out."

"Why?"

I look down. "This is a total screw up."

She looks at my ankle. "Maybe…"

"Later!" I snap. "I want to go home! I don't want to go to this stupid school!" Sobs scratch my throat. "Who cares about stupid friends?" The 'X' is cutting deep. "Who cares? The world is a F*CKING place filled with the pathetic and the egotistical. I'M PATHETIC!"

"Maki-san!" she calls after me as I force myself up and painfully limping away rapidly. She flies after me. "You're going to make the ankle w-"

It snaps and I scream, kneeling down and clutching the ankle. "It's nothing…"

"Please Maki!"

"NO! I can do this!"

I race forward to the gate, running out and looking for which way to go. The ankle is throbbing and the 'X' is slowly forming, making me wince per five seconds. I try to dash left, but I trip due to the ankle and my face smashes into the sidewalk. _**Aw…does someone want their daddy? Their DEAD daddy? **_I clutch my ankle once and try to crawl forward, but I end up just dropping my body, lying there. I dig my nails into my fists and just let the tears fall, but I refuse to…refuse to…I start sobbing. I want to go home…I want things to be like they were…except with Nana AND Quartz. I smack the ground and a wail tears out. Quartz gasps and floats above me, since I can't see her out of the corner of my eye anymore.

"Stay away from Maki-cha!" she scolds the person. "You're the reason she's even like this!"

Silence, and then I feel someone rub my upper back gently. I just lie there, and eventually the person helps me into sitting position, but I'm too busy crying to see who it is. "Poor thing…" I hear one of those girls say.

"Those jerks!" a boy in my class scolds. "You pushed her to this!"

"Maki!" I hear Amu call. "Are you alright?"

I'm just wiping out tears. The person picks me up and I can briefly see someone nod, the person walking off to the direction of my house. They're carrying me bridal style, one hand lightly rubbing up and down my platform. Eventually, the tears and events of today lead me to fall asleep.

_I want to be…a friend._

I yawn and stretch my body out. I look around to see my room. Huh, it was just a nightmare. I shove off the covers and yelp at the clock. Four o'clock? Dang it school's already done! How could I sleep through school? I stand up but fall into the carpet immediately, my ankle throbbing. I look back to it and it's all bandaged up, so are several cuts I swear I got in my…nightmare. I blink and sit on the back of my thighs. The door opens and I hear a light sigh, someone putting their hands under my upper arms and lifting me up. "You're supposed to stay in bed," I hear Ikuto sigh.

He lays me in the bed and I stare blankly up at the ceiling. "It's your fault. You're the reason my life is He** now."

He pats my arm and sits down on the portion of the bed to my right. "Hey, stop crying."

I didn't even notice. "She can cry all she wants to!" Quartz defends. "It's just to let out negative feelings!"

I hear him scoff. "Look, you don't know everything."

"So do you," I remind placidly.

He wipes tears away and stands, closing the door. I'm not sure if he left or not, but I don't care. I sit up and cover my eyes with my arms. My mouth opens up to scream and wail, Ikuto apparently not having left and hugging me. This sucks. I'm just…broken, shattered. I want Daddy back. I want Nana back. I want my life back.


	11. Apology

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 11_

**Apology**

I haven't seen anyone since then. My ankles healed, so yeah, it's been three weeks, and I've been locked up in here. I'm skinnier, and I'm lucky Mom forces me to keep water in here, so I've been taking little sips everyday. It's Monday, February 6, 2012. Someone knocks on my door, but I ignore them as usual. Quartz is trying her all to repair Nana's egg, but let's face it; Humpty Dumpty was a broken egg who could never be fixed again. "Maki, its Amu."

"Amu!" Quartz cheers and flies to the knob to open it. I hear the door creak open. "Amu, can you help Maki-san?"

Amu walks over, sitting on the left side of the bed closer to the elegant chair in which I sit in. "Hey." I don't reply. "I think I can fix Nana." I don't answer and she stands. "Heart: Unlock! Character Transformation: Amulet Clover (A.N: Sorry I screwed the other up!)! Remake honey!"

The sweet atmosphere returns and someone tackles my head. "MAKI-CHA!"

I gasp and take the little figure off my head to see little Nana! I hug her tight. "NANA!"

"Ah, can't breath!"

"Sorry!"

She laughs and I stand up, laughing as well. Amu smiles and Quartz joins in. Eventually we catch the sight of blue hair and I gasp, tripping over my left ankle and crashing into the night stand. "Maki-cha!" Amu gasps.

I push myself up, but Ikuto hauls up my elbow. I shrug it off. "Stupid cat," I mutter.

I feel the sting of a slap. "Ikuto!" Amu scolds.

"I didn't want that to happen!" he snaps. "So stop crying like a baby and man up!"

I'm frozen. "Maki?" Nana wonders.

"Yep?" I swallow something thick.

"Are you…"

"He's just a stupid boy," I sigh. "They never get anything."

I walk out and walk into the bathroom, throwing the bandages out and pricking my face once with a sowing needle, taking out a couple of scissors and chopping my hair to a short shoulder bob like before. I then cut myself to make sure I'm awake and take a deep breath, punching the mirror and glass digging into my fist. Nana and Quartz gasp. "MAKI!" they scream with worry.

Ikuto runs in with Amu, both staring. I'm shaking, my fists clenched. "Stop thinking you know me," I growl. "You don't know anything."

Amu walks over and pats my shoulder. "Maki…"

I shut my eyes and a fat tear drops to the floor uninvited. _I want Daddy back…_

I hear Ikuto sigh. "I haven't. It's just life."

"I DON'T CARE!" I glare up at him, stepping forward once and shaking my head, shutting my eyes and fat tears dropping. "I HATE LIFE!"

"Maki!" Amu shakes my shoulders. "Calm down! Nana's here! Quartz is here!"

"She wants someone else," I hear Nana inform calmly.

"Huh?" Amu wonders.

Ikuto is silent for a second. "You want your Dad back, do you?"

I scream and kick the wall, clutching my head. An 'X' is about to carve in, so I guess he does this out of the 'duty' thing. I feel his lips crash onto mine and I blink, my tears ceasing and the 'X' erasing. Everything becomes clearer and I blink, Ikuto prying off and patting the side of my face. "I'm sorry."

I blink. "About what though?"

"Everything," he sighs.

I blink and poke his forehead, in which I place the back of my hand on it. "You know, I don't feel a temperature coming on…"

He chuckles. "I'm not heartless," he smiles.

Amu huffs and walks out. "I'll just leave you two be."

I gasp and duck into the cabinet, grabbing a flyer and zooming out, catching Amu before she can set foot on the steps. "Hey Amu! Can you go with me to this please?"

She takes the flyer and skims it. "Well…it is a day off…I'll ask my parents."

I jump and land on my ankle wrong, nearly slamming into the wall if it weren't for Ikuto. I sigh and flick his nose. He raises a brow and I just sigh. "You're not easy to forgive you know."

Amu laughs and waves good-bye. "I'll see you in a bit!"

Of course, the door shutting echoes since my parents aren't home. And of course, Ikuto nibbles my ear right now. "Do I have to make you forgive me?"

I jump out of his grasp, flailing my arms like crazy. "I'M TWELVE-YAHAHA!" I slip and roll down the stairs, crashing into a wall and breaking my nose. I sigh and Ikuto helps me up, examining the nose and twisting it until it snaps back into place. He grabs a nearby tissue and wipes the blood off, just leaving me there, blinking. Is this Ikuto? Huh, I guess he can be serious when he wants to be. I huff and Nana lands on my head, Quartz arguing with Yoru in the kitchen. Of course, Yoru has a milk bottle. I hug my ribs and Ikuto tosses the tissue away, smiling seductively at me. A shiver runs up my spine. "Oh what?"

He chuckles. "I see you're not wearing your contacts today."

Nana and Quartz raise brows at me. I gulp. "Uh…" They slowly shake their heads, so I lead them to the corner behind the stairs next to a room for a little later in the chapter. "I was under pressure!"

"Really now?" I hear Ikuto laugh. Man I hate that cat. "Tell me, if you were, then how did you get blue eyes?"

I gulp. "Um…pressure?"

He bursts out laughing. "Wow, you are really an air-head!"

"Am not!"

"Are to."

I huff and turn to the door. "Whatever!"

I walk forward but stop. I rub my right shoulder and look up painfully at the door. I push in, but Ikuto just stays where he is. Good. I slam the door shut and yank the light chain, the room lighting up and an old model of the R.M.S Titanic my dad and I were working on before he passed appears on the table. Mom had it moved with us, since she knows how important it is to me. I lean against the door and slide down, hugging my knees and staring up at it. "What's that?" Quartz stares at it.

"Something I used to build with my dad…" I sigh.

Ikuto knocks. "Maki, are you alright?"

I sigh. "Yeah. Why?" No answer. "Speaking of which, care to explain why you took my eggs in the first place?"

I can hear the cloth of a pair of jeans shift as he puts his hands in his pockets. "It was a joke."

"A joke," I scoff. "Jeez, how many times have I heard that Bull?"

"Look, I might not know you that much, but I can easily interpret-"

"Oh look, the kitten learned a new word," I snap.

"Please just listen to me, Maki!" he begs.

"No, you listen to me!" I snap, now standing. "I'm sick of people just treating me like garbage or a baby!"

Silence. "I'm not treating you-"

"The school, the alley, the room just now, the bathroom, D*MN it, Ikuto, admit it, you've been treating me like I don't mean SH*T to you."

"That's not true," he sighs. "Look, who do you think carried you here?"

"Santa," I roll my eyes.

I can hear him chuckle. "Didn't you call me that the day of your appointment?"

Oh CR*P, that was not called for. "S-So?"

He knocks and I sigh, exiting with Nana and Quartz flying into the kitchen to prevent Yoru from taking all the milk. I shut the door lightly and Ikuto leans down, hands in pockets, and smirking at me seductively. Oh SH*T. Suddenly, he's nibbling my ear. "You know," he mutters in my ears, "I think you look better with the blue eyes."

I gasp as he starts to trace the ear with his tongue. Is this even legal? "Look who returned…" I mutter.

He chuckles, the breath tickling my skin. He slides his left hand across my flat stomach to my right waist, him being on the left and all. He clutches the area and his lips move behind my ear. "So, when am I going to get that dance you promised in return for the eggs?"

"You said a bit," I huff, my face a tomato. "That was a bit about three weeks ago."

His lower jaw catches the edge of my ear and his top jaw closes on it, making me yelp a bit. Of course, even if that happens, his hand is still there on my hip. Okay, this is sexual harassment! "I want more though…"

I huff and his other hand crawls out of its pocket and slither across my shoulder blades, gripping my right shoulder and his legs shifting a bit until he is leaning perfectly to my left. He pulls me closer and he rests his cheek on my head, nudging a bit. I swear one more move and I'm getting out the pepper spray! He chuckles and his hands return to their pockets, his body stepping back a bit and leaning against a wall, eyes closed and a smirk glued on. "Whatever," I huff. "Besides, this whole watching thing makes you a stalker, and who dances with stalkers?"

"People committing suicide," he hints.

Of course he means the reckless thing. I huff and rub the back of my neck. I look down to see the white turtleneck and the dark jeans, the black combat boots no becoming my favorite. I blink and the lavender rose appears on the silver chain I keep on. "OH NO YOU'RE NOT!"

Ikuto laughs as I fight to get the chain off, Nana, Quartz, and Yoru all rolling in mid-air. I freeze. _Laughing…Laughing…Laughing is all that echoes…__**Do you really think they care? Stupid girl…**_ "Am I that hilarious to watch?"

They freeze and Nana and Quartz rush over. "We're sorry! It's just that we thought you were faking!"

I blink. "Why?"

"Well, you've had that on for a while, yet you don't know that you can't remove it?"

I blink. "Since when does that make sense?"

"Since yesterday!" Nana laughs.

I laugh along and I feel a hand in my right jean pocket, an arm stretching out to reach that pocket behind me. "JEEZ IKUTO CUT IT OUT!"

He laughs and pecks my temple, making me turn red and red and crimson. "You're fun…" he whispers.

"ARE YOU DRUNK?" I snap. "CUT IT OUT!"

He returns his hands and holds them up in that 'alright, fine, be that way' manner and back up into the wall again, leaning and crossing his ankles and arms, staring at me. I shudder and march to the fridge, my stomach growling. I take out a little container and lift the cap to see a HUGE chocolate cake with a note on top. I raise a brow and pluck it off to read it.

_Maki, when you decide to come out of your room, this is all yours to make up for your birthday. _

_-Mom (LOVE YA!)_

Well, at least she caught on to the 'Mom' thing. I smile and look at Ikuto. "Hey Ikuto, do you like chocolate?"

He grins at me. "You know, I would have some, but you're so small, you need to have the nutrients."

"Aw, kitten learned another word!" I tease.

He rolls his eyes and stands up straight, walking past the counter and into the kitchen. I reach for the plates, but as I push a foot back, I realize Yoru spilt some milk in his bickering with Quartz, so I slip forward and Ikuto catches the back of my shirt before my forehead slams into the edge of the counter. I glare up at the poor excuse for a guardian. "Jeez, do you ever protect anyone?"

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Yoru folds his little arms, his whiskers twitching.

I giggle. You have to admit the little cat is cute. "Yeah, whatever."

Ikuto chuckles and he walks up next to me, picking out two plates and setting them onto the counter. I reach for the knife drawer, but Nana and Quartz restrain my wrist. I blink and Nana flies up to my ear. "Uh, remember your little habit?"

I nod and put my arm down, walking to the other side of the counter and sitting down, Nana making a baton appear and doing random tricks, Yoru tripping her up a few times and the little argument making me laugh. Quartz hands me my IPod and I put on 'Tears Don't Fall' by BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE. Suddenly, Ikuto pushes a plate with a FAT cake slice on top. I huff and smirk at him, receiving a hair ruffling. Okay, I swear he's on some illegal drug and now he's all 'coco'. I sigh and he walks off, so I raise a brow. Then Nana removes the phones after Quartz pauses the song and I hear the door open. Someone must've knocked. "Hello, Amu," I hear Ikuto greet.

"Hey, Maki!" Amu calls. "My parents said I could go!"

She runs in, Ikuto casually strolling in behind. "Speaking of which…what are you going to?"

"Something for girls," Amu answers.

"So you can come if you want," I giggle.

His teeth grit and that irritated pulsing returns. "Let that go will ya?"

"No thanks," I giggle. "You're too fun to tease!"

Amu slaps her forehead and blinks at the fat cake slice on my plate. "Don't you think that's over doing things?" she blankly wonders.

I freeze and start waving my arms wildly in defense. "He put it there, not me! I'm not even h-"-my stomach growls like thunder-"oh F*CK it!"

They laugh and I place the plates in the fridge, following them out and racing Amu after the both of us have character changes with Ran and Nana. Of course, Ikuto has no problem beating our as*ES. I feel relaxed again, and we skid to a stop. The event? A sale of course and it's the stores with that ornament and the necklace. I'm serious; my heart has targeted the both! I laugh and Amu drags me into the store with the ornament. She turns to us. "Okay, now let's try to keep the time limited, okay?"

I nod and she walks off to one section while I walk off to the accessories, Quartz simply electrified. "YAY! Hey, where did that clip go?"

I freeze. That's right, I threw it at the restaurant wall and…I feel something in my hair and look to my right to see Ikuto messing around with my hair, removing his hands and turning me to a mirror. It's the clip! "Hmm, you know, like I said, better with the blue eyes."

"When did you become a fashion consultant?" I chuckle.

He nibbles my ear of course. "I'm just saying what I see in you."

I grunt. "Yeah, yeah, what you expect from a girl. Why don't you hit on one of your classmates, seeing that's more appropriate?" I snap.

He rubs my arms up and down, smirking next to me in the mirror. "Don't you see the mirror?"

"Yeah, I see a perverted cat sexually assaulting a twelve-year-old!"

He laughs and nips at my ear again. "That's not what I see," he whispers.

"What? Sexual harassment?"

"They're the same thing," he gently flicks the tip of my nose, which I slightly wince. D*MN it, it's still sore from the wall? "You okay?"

"You apparently have the memory span of a goldfish," I mutter.

"CAT!" I jump at Yoru's voice. "Not a fish!"

"Jeez, when did you get here?" I growl.

"Why," Ikuto teases, "do you want to be alone with me?"

"N-No!" I defend. "I asked Amu to come, you just followed!"

He smirks, shutting his eyes and slipping his hand in my right pocket again. "If you say so."

I blush and I feel him place something in there. He stands and walks off, so I dig in my right pocket to pull out something small.

It's that book he took a while back.

"By the way, that might look small, but it takes a while to finish," I hear Ikuto say a bit away.

I blink down at it. So he read everything. I open the tiny book and see it starts with my birth dad's issues, then my mom's, then mine. I blink and shake my head. It's stupid, that's all. I huff and look around, but a searing pain rams up and down my arms, my head throbbing and my heart pounding. My body feels like it is on fire! _**Your 'Mom' remarried because she only cares about herself, not you. **__Shut up. __**Think about it, she was arguing and arguing with your precious 'Daddy' till dawn. Think about it. You have X-Negative. YOU are the cause for your dad's death. **__No! How does that…__**You were riding. Your father, once full of life, has his heart egg ripped out, the one from childhood dreams of becoming a good father. X-Negative turned it into an X-egg, so he dozed out. He couldn't hear you. You gave yourself that scar, like you do every other time. 'I cut myself up all the time!' **__NO! __**Deny it, if you want. IT'S THE TRUTH!**_

I huff and claw my nails into my palms. I won't listen to it, NO! I shake my head roughly and I feel someone tap the back of my neck. I look into the mirror to see Nana and Quartz, both looking worried. "You might want to get out," they mouth.

I nod and start walking through the racks, dashing for the door when I'm close. I run into an alley and my throat is scorching as if ice was trying to keep it from moving. Each breath is a knife and each pant is a bullet. I cross my fingers and remind myself of good times, but that's hard to come by. I stare up at the sky and I gasp. The 'X' is completely formed on my forehead, claws shoot out of my hands, not balled up in fists anymore thankfully. I look down into a puddle and the hair grows longer all the way to my knees. My eyes turn solid black, the contacts practically melting onto the eyeballs. I look to see the turtleneck sleeves shred themselves to a medium length, the neck shredding down to a U shape. Man it looks like it's a torn up rock shirt plain white! My jeans tighten and the buckles on the boots turn into 'X's. My lips turn blood red and my abdomen produces frost, outlining my skin. I jump into the air, and Nana and Quartz fly up onto a roof, scared out of their wits.

"Character Transformation: **X-NEGATIVE**!" a young girly voice and my own cheer in unison. 'I' cackle like a maniac and fly up, landing on the roof in front of Nana and Quartz, immediately meaning directly on the edge, but 'I' manage. The claws lengthen, the blood from in my hands dripping down. **"Hey, you're the eggs standing in my way of total control of this body…"**

I shake my head and clutch two fistfuls of hair. "NO!"

"**I want to have a body, so you have to die," **the X-Negative cackles, removing the hands from my head and crossing her wrists, pointing them down and moving her hips more to the right to look like she was holding onto the back of some invisible chair. She brings on claw up in front of the face. **"So, let's get started."**

I bite my lip, but the X-Negative removes it. _**Remember who killed Dad here…**__Yeah…YOU!_ I punch myself and the X-Negative screams. "GET OUT!"

"**THIS IS MY BODY!" **she argues. **"MINE! MINE! MINE!"**

Nana and Quartz circle my head and the X-Negative tries to rip off the chain, but I guess it's that stupid. "NANA!"

"Yes, Maki-cha!"

She pops into her egg and flows into me, the lavender rose appearing on the chain. "Character Transformation: Rose-negative!" I look down and see the clothes are still in the same state, and there are two white 'X's, one on each side of the rose. The claws are still there. "Wow, I can combine two characters?"

"_Yeah!" _Nana cheers inside me. _"We can use the X-Negative to our advantage!"_

I nod and scrape my claws across the abdomen, the 'X's disappearing and the jeans loosening, the shirt is pretty much a goner and my boots having little lavender roses for buckles. "That's cool!" I laugh.

"_Let's stretch and then get back to the others!" _

I stretch my body up to the sky and catapult off the roof backwards, landing on the balls of my feet, knees bent all the way, my right finger tips touching the ground, and the left hand stretched out behind me. Nana comes out, but the rose is still there. I guess she wants to keep a character change on. "Thanks Nana, Quartz, you guys helped me out."

Quartz blushes. "Aw, I barely did anything!"

I giggle and walk back in the store, rubbing sweat off my forehead. Jiminy Cricket, is it just me or is the building, like, super hot? I take a step forward, hands stuffed in my pockets, and I bump into someone. I look up to that blonde dude from that school mistake. "Oh hey!" he greets with a smile. "It's you! Hey, are you alright?"

I smile and shrug. "Eh, I just have some family issues, so…"

He smiles kindly. "Well, I'm Lo Maya! Nice to meet you!"

I freeze in my smiling stance, eye twitching. THIS IS KIO'S BROTHER? "Uh…hehe…do you have a brother, by any chance…?"

"Oh, Kio? Yeah, he keeps telling me about this girl he likes…it gets annoying."

I smile. "Well, that's how the popular get!" I shrug. "I'm Maki Kia, by the way."

He laughs, confusing me. It's so sweet voiced though…OH JEEZ NOT A THIRD GUY! "Wow, my brother REALLY likes you."

I blush. "Oh really now?"

He nods. "Well, I can see why."

I giggle and he smiles. "Hey," I shift my feet, "how would you like to hang out some time?"

He smiles and turns to walk away, but his head is still looking at me. "Well, I'm sixteen…okay, it's a date!"

He disappears in the racks and I faint on the floor, trumpet angels circling my head. I jump up and rush through the racks to tackle Amu, clinging to her back. "I HAVE A DATE!"

She smiles and shrugs me off, turning to me. "That's great! But…with who?"

"Kio Maya's older brother, Lo!"

She chuckles. "Wow, you're really excited."

"She is! She is!" Nana and Quartz cheer.

I feel a hand in my left pocket, an arm stretched behind me. "A date with Lo, huh?"

I jump and start scolding Ikuto. "JEEZ YOU PERVERT! EVER HEARD OF PERSONAL F*CKING SPACE!"

"No, only personal space," he chuckles.

I slap him upside the head. "WHATEVER!" I snap. "Anyways, at least I can _get _a date!"

"Oh really," he chuckles. "When is it then?"

"It's-" I freeze and rip out of his grasp. "LO! HEY WAIT!"

I can hear him laughing and Amu scolding him. I smile. This is how things should be. Well, I GOT THE APOLOGY! SUCK THAT IKUTO! WHOOP!


	12. Jealous Cat

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 12_

**Jealous Cat**

"WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? WHAT DO I SAY? OH CR*P WHY DIDN'T WE DISCUSS THIS EARLIER!" I cry, rocking back and forth on my bead with two balls of hazel streaked black hair clutched in my fists.

"Quartz," Nana laughs, "help her with the outfit. Maki, listen." I look up. "You're going to a movie and then lunch. All you have to do for the first part is to remain quiet. The second part, all you have to do is to wait for him to speak, and just reply. It's that simple."

"Okay," I breathe. "Wait, are you guys coming with?"

Nana and Quartz nod. "We'll shrink the house down again," now Quartz smiles, so I know she's going to crack a joke, "but this time try to keep it, okay?"

I laugh and nod. Quartz waves a little brush, seeing she's my wish to become a master for things that make people happy and whole, the culture, and that sleeveless navy dress that goes down to my knees appears, black pantyhose appearing on my legs and the little black Mary Jane shoes I got for school originally. My hair pulls itself into a high ponytail with that silver butterfly clip. A little tan blush applies with a deep crimson lipstick, mascara making my eyelashes long and deep. My contacts remove themselves and my hair…the dye is removed enough for hazel hair with black streaks. I smile and a mirror appears. I twirl around a bit and I laugh at myself. I walk through my down, a black belt slanted on my waist with the house attached, and I grab the spare house keys, running out and locking the door behind me. I calmly walk to the theater and sit on a wooden bench, awaiting Lo. I hum a little tune to myself until I hear chuckling.

"You know, I never thought you would try to impress those Maya brats."

I keep my smile, but I still turn to Ikuto, in the usual uniform. I notice he has a light-blue violin case with him. "Afternoon, cat," I wave. "Still stalking me?"

He laughs and rests next to me on the bench, his arms spread out across the top of the back, his legs stretched out with his ankles crossing, and his gaze turned to his left, at me, with his head tilted forwards. "You look nice."

I raise an amused brow. "What do you want this time?"

He takes his right arm and uses his thumb and index finger on the right hand to lift up my chin a bit, his head leaning in and the tilt erasing. "I've been waiting for that dance you promised."

"Actually," I poke his nose playfully, "you crossed your fingers, so therefore the deal is hereby nullified."

He shuts his eyes and looks down, his right hand returning to its place on the top of the back-bench. "When did you become a lawyer?"

"When did you become a complete hole?" I laugh.

"Hey, Maki," I hear Lo greet. "Don't get buddy-buddy with a completely different person now!"

I laugh and stand up, walking to Lo. Man is he cute! "Hi Lo-san, how are you?"

He pats my head. "No need to be formal, Maki."

I laugh and I feel eyes bore into the back of my skull, but I ignore them. I walk next to Lo into the theater. Oh this is going to be great! We take our seats in the movie room and he holds left hand, making me blush. Nana sits on my lap and Quartz is floating next to her, making popcorn in something she must've made appear. The movie is about some high school students and oh the drama! NOT. I think he just took me to see this for the sheer that I'm a twelve-year-old girl. I huff. Okay, I have to admit, Ikuto would've probably went to some movie he wanted to see with me. I twiddle my thumbs through the movie, Lo behaving like a respectable gentleman, but for some reason, I feel like someone is going to stroke my butt any minute. When the movie is done, Nana notices that I can't stand up. I'm frozen there, a bit scared. Why though? Is it because I know Ikuto isn't here? Wait, he had to get in somehow, he's like that. I nod to myself and stand, walking out of the theater and Lo takes my hand. Walking back out into the sun, I see a girl talking to Ikuto on the bench. Was he there the whole time? Oh jeez, that gives me the jitters! Lo squeezes my hand reassuringly and leads me off to the direction of that restaurant Ikuto and I danced at (A.K.A-where the jerk stole my eggs).

_I want to be…a friend._

"Hey, do you want to dance?" Lo wonders.

I shake my head lightly. "No thanks. I'm technically in debt for that sort of thing."

"Because of Ikuto, huh?" he laughs. "That guy is odd in many ways, may I tell you, but that's good about a person."

"Really?" I raise a brow.

He nods. "Everyone's unique in their own way."

"So it's good if people enjoy murder?" I tease.

He laughs and shakes his head lightly. "Everything but that, silly."

I laugh along with him and I feel the house shift. I freeze and look down to see it's there. I lift the roof and…

I. Really. Hate. That. Cat.

I huff and bang my head on the table. "What's wrong?" he wonders.

"Uh…" I stutter. "Um…I lost a part of this project I was working on…" I stand up. "I'll be right back!"

I stand and walk into the dancing room, walking on the outskirts of the circle and looking around. Why can't I see Ikuto? Ugh, next time I see that perverted stalker, he's dead. I huff and start looking inside pots and stuff for the eggs and freeze. Wait…if he re-promises something, that would make that promise valid…SH*T. I walk out of the dance room and to the entrance. I look around and hit my head. STUPID! I really can't trust those two! Didn't I tell Ikuto about how I hate people doing this? I feel someone tap my head and I look behind me to Yoru, holding both eggs above him. I gap and I can see he's sweating, nervously. Something definitely happened.

"Uh…" he smiles. "I was told to give these back to you."

I blink as he lightly places them in my hands. "Wait…why the heck did you take them in the first place?"

He rubs the back of his neck. "I thought it was funny-nya…"

I sigh. "Yeah, or Ikuto found it funny."

He blinks, then lets his hand drop to his side. "He didn't, actually."

I raise a brow. "I'm curious, but have you seen him with a heavy amount of…I don't know…_pot_?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "No-nya. He said something about too much is mean."

I turn to walk to the table, but stop, smirking. "Keep telling yourself that, Mama's kitten."

He's scolding while I calmly walk back to the table, placing the eggs back in the house. I sit down and Lo smiles. "Find the parts?" I nod. "Good. Well, I hope the project goes nicely!"

I nod and freeze for a second. Don't people generally say more or ask what the project is? Out of this nervous nature, I stand again. "Uh…I need to go for a second!" I rush. "Be right back!"

I dash out of the restaurant and take a huge gulp of necessary air. Man, I hate that cat. How dare he make me nervous? Yet again, why am I blaming him even if he's not…wait…I slap my forehead and stomp back in, walking up to the sign in counter. "May I help you?" the lady wonders with a brilliant smile.

I nod. "Have you seen a boy, seventeen, with blue hair and eyes come in?"

She nods and points down the hall and makes a 'go left' motion. I nod and follow those directions, freezing when I see Ikuto sitting at a table for two alone. There's a little box with a blue ribbon on it in front of the other seat and there's a Dr. Pepper waiting there as well, untouched. I scratch my head and look at the door to the ladies room. Huh. I tap the house and Quartz flies out. "Yes, Maki-cha?"

I cover her mouth and duck behind a wall. "Hush! Now, do you have any idea why Ikuto is here?"

She shakes her head. "Although, I know that you like him."

I freeze. "D-do not!"

"Do to."

"Do not!"

"Do to."

"Don't make me repeat myself."

She smiles and shows me the mirror. I blink. Is this me? I thin the crimson lipstick is now to much, the mascara is overboard…why did I not notice? "Now you get it."

"Get what?" I ask her.

"People should take you for who you are, not Miss Makeup Face."

I chuckle and nod in agreement. "Yeah, I guess…"

"That's probably why Ikuto likes the blue eyes so much, because they're who you are."

I nod and in the mirror, I see the lipstick remove and the mascara wash off. The blush, I can't really tell if it removes, but I smile with my lips sealed and it actually makes me feel proud of myself. What was I so nervous about? I'm me and me alone! I stand up and start walking back to my table. I sit down and Lo frowns. "What?" I ask.

"Hey, Ikuto."

I freeze, ghostly pale, and look behind me to a smirking Ikuto. OH WHAT THE F*CK? "YAHAHYA!" I fall over and some people laugh, making me sigh. Jeez, I was just surprised…

Ikuto chuckles, "I hope you've had a nice fall."

I kick him in the ribs and he backs up a bit. I stand up with Lo's help and Quartz squeaks, fleeing to the house. I huff and cross my arms up at Ikuto. "What do you want, date-crasher?"

He takes my wrist and jerks me forward until his lips are next to my ear. "You might want to look across the room."

I look behind him and see some chick Lo's age watching. I raise a brow and Ikuto pushes me back a bit. I turn to Lo. "Hey, Lo?"

"Hmm?" he smiles.

"Who's she?" I jerk my head to the chick.

He looks over and grows pale. "Uh…no idea…" My heart stops. That's an immediate lie. I look down and run off. "Wait! Maki!"

I run out of the restaurant and keep running, no tears falling, just anger pulsing. I'd rather get out before X-Negative comes out again. She almost killed Nana and Quartz, I'm not having that again. Nana flies out of the house, bags bruising under her eyes. "What's with all the…oh…Maki-cha, what's wrong?"

I shake my head. "I just want to look in the stores a bit…"

"Maki…" Quartz sighs.

Usually, I don't agree to that unless they have something I like, in which the ornament and necklace were still too expensive for me. I'm not a millionaire you know! Otherwise Dad and I would _buy _a Titanic, not make one! I pant and stop before sweat starts showing through my nice dress that Quartz apparently fixed up. You know, Mom got me this, so it's important. I start walking and freeze with realization. Why did Ikuto stop that little plan? Was he protecting me? Or…I know! HE'S SO JEALOUS! That's the only explanation! Yep, Ikuto is a perverted, stalking, jealous kitten with a baby!


	13. Second Date

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 13_

**Second Date**

I whistle. I'm playing Swords and Skulls again, and may I mention it is Sunday, three days from that date fail. Ikuto hasn't been around again, so I'm starting to wonder. Amu is next to me, in one of those bar chairs in front of the kitchen counter. I laugh in triumph when we sink a ship together. "Nice one!" I half-five Amu.

"Yeah. Hey, have you seen Ikuto today?" she wonders.

I shake my head. "Nope. I really doubt it though."

"Why's that?" she wonders.

"Oh, because he usually avoids me when he runs out of his precious joke ideas."

She giggles and her phone rings. "Oh, I have to go. See you later!"

I wave good-bye and she runs out. I smile and walk to the fridge, taking out that large cake slice from a few days ago and taking out a fork, scooping some into my mouth. It's sweet, I have to admit that. I hear a chuckle and ignore it, immediately knowing it is Ikuto coming from down here from my room. He walks to the opposite side of the counter and leans forward, watching me with a tilted, smirking head. "What Ikuto?"

He chuckles again. "Someone's cranky." I huff. He lifts up his hands and I scoop another fork of cake, holding my head up with my left hand, the left elbow pushed roughly against the counter top, and staring at Ikuto, shoveling cake into my mouth. "So, have you learned a lesson from your little," he chuckles, "date?"

I glare. "Yeah, it's that men are no good dogs, pigs, and kitten mothers."

He rolls his laughing eyes and leans in a bit, making me freeze with the fork in my mouth. "Not all of us."

I laugh, taking the fork out. "Yeah, all of you!"

He smiles and I guess he notices I'm wearing the brown contacts again. He sighs and holds his head exactly like me, save the shoveling cake into his mouth. "You did it again."

"Did what?" I ask.

"I'm telling you, you're cuter with blue eyes."

"Why is that?" I challenge.

He shrugs. "It looks more your nature." I freeze. He doesn't know? Nana flies down from my room and hands me the little book, flipping through but I know what she's hinting; it doesn't mention the contacts. Also, going through, it doesn't mention the scar at all! I blink and rub my right shoulder a bit. Man I want to forget it…He cups my right cheek and forces me to stare into his eyes. "What's wrong?"

I blink. Yep, definitely on Pot. I shrug. "I'm just thinking, that's all."

He smiles, probably believing it, and pulls me closer, moving his lips next to my ear and (BADABIGBADABOOM) starts nibbling. I huff and glare at nothing in particular. He peels away, not like usual. "Okay, now I know something's wrong."

"What?" I blink.

He smirks. "You're not being stubborn about your feelings."

"What e-WAIT WHAT! I'm not stubborn about my feelings!"

He chuckles and ruffles my hair. "That's the Maki I know."

I feel like slapping him. "Look, don't you have better things to do?" He shakes his head of course. I huff and drop my head on the counter. "You're hopeless." I feel his thumb massage the area behind my right ear. I feel a bit tired all of a sudden, but when I feel him nibbling again, I'm wide awake. "STUPID PERVERT!"

He laughs and dodges my slap. I grumble and sit down, gobbling down the rest of the cake and stomping upstairs. I slam the door to my room and lock it, shutting the open window and locking it securely, duck-taping that and before I can move to duck-tape the door knob, he's already behind me! HOLY SH*T WHAT IS WITH HIM? NEXT THING YOU KNOW HE'S PEEPING ON ME DURING A SHOWER! I shudder at the thought and sit down, huffing at the floor. He sighs and pats my back, sitting next to me with his hands in his pockets. "You know," he starts, staring at me, "if you're bored, we could do something together."

I raise a brow. "Like what?"

He smiles at my slight cooperation. "I don't know…what do you like to do?"

Now this is something I like to see in a guy. "…uh…I don't know."

He blinks. "Come on, you must like to do something."

I think about it. What do I like to do? Believe me this is harder than it looks! "I like music," I shrug, "and…"

"And what?" he smiles.

"Nothing."

"Come on," he hugs my shoulders with his left arm. "You can tell me. It'll be our little secret."

Didn't he say that before? I sigh and try to shrug his arm off. "It's stupid."

I see Nana sitting on my shoulder, and then she clutches her chest. "Ouch…" she winces.

"Nana?" I gasp.

"I'm alright," she huffs.

I blink. That's right, she's made from my wish of being more athletic, moving, dancing. If I say stuff like that, it's bound to hurt her. I pat her head and Quartz leads her into the wooden house. I sigh and cross my arms. Ikuto of course is smarter than he might look. "Dancing, huh?"

I huff. "Yeah, what to it?"

He smiles. "You still owe me a dance."

"You crossed your fingers."

He hugs my shoulders tightly, bringing me closer to him. I look up to his gorgeous face and…wait, where did '_gorgeous_' come from? I sigh and look up at him, seeing the deep blue eyes that matched my own bore into my soul. "Do I have to say 'please'?"

"You just did," I point out, "and no."

I feel him nibbling my right ear, since he's on my right side. I try to hold back, but it eventually turns to licking the ear's frame. I blush madly and gasp quietly. Man is he the seductive one! "Come on…one dance won't hurt…"

Then it turns to kissing the area behind my ear. _IS THIS EVEN RATED T? _He pulls my head back, allowing him more access to nibble on the bare earlobe. I huff in defeat. "Fine! Just stop…violating my personal bubble."

His lips leave my ear. Jeez, I should've crossed my fingers! He smiles and slides his left hand down from my left shoulder across the shoulder blades until he grasps the right upper arm, the fingers snaking down to the wrist. He pulls me up and places the other hand on my waist, despite the fact that I'm twelve and he's seventeen. I mean seriously, four years is one thing, but five? That's just over the line a bit, don't you think? I get on my toes to place my hand on his shoulder and notice something. Without standing on my toes, I'm up to his mid-chest. I blink twice and drop my toes, seeing my hands are perfectly gripping the shoulder. Huh, I guess I'm just worrying myself over age, that I think I'm like an ant to him. Nana comes out of the house, Quartz with her, and they sit on the roof. The lavender rose appears on the chain and I smile in gratitude. That's when I notice Yoru isn't really with us.

"Hey," I blink. "Where's Yoru?"

Ikuto nods to the window and I look out to see Yoru in the sky, chasing some pigeon. I blink and he rams into a pole, making Ikuto chuckle. I raise a brow at him. It's alright for him for Yoru to get hurt like that? That's a little cold, don't you think. But…Yoru is kind of annoying…I bury my face into Ikuto's shirt, gripping the shoulder and hand tightly. Jeez, I cannot relax today! I feel Ikuto's hand lift from my waist to behind my head, rubbing it up and down gently. We're rocking back and forth lightly, which soon turns to stepping in squares, and then twisting around a bit, and then once I choose to remove my face from his chest, he starts twirling me around gently, not fast enough to become overly dizzy. I smile. This is actually…peaceful. I don't feel the X-Negative acting up, nothing. Just peaceful dancing. Yet again, something's up, and I want to know what. Sooner or later, my eyes close and I smile. It's cold in here. Finally, I can feel the cold. We stop dancing and the rose pendant disappears. Ikuto steps back and shoves his hands into his pockets, leaning down slightly.

"Debt paid," he smiles. I look at the clock. HOLY SH*T IT'S BEEN AN _HOUR_! Jeez, I shouldn't get so lost like that! I grumble and also notice it is lunch time. I hear my stomach rumble and Ikuto chuckles. "Would you like lunch?" I shrug. Right now, I'm speechless on how much I enjoyed being close with Ikuto. "Out or in?"

Well, if I chose in, that'd be a little less options for dinner, since Mom's hoping to come home around that time and wants to have a family dinner for once here. "Out."

He smiles and grips my wrist, leading me out of the house. I smile once the sun strikes my face and something nibbles my ear. I groan and try to slap Ikuto away. He chuckles, as usual. "Can a cat have some fun around you?"

"Didn't I ask you to stay out of my personal bubble?" I huff, shoving my hands into my jean pockets, the layered, sleeveless lavender shirt swaying lightly. I have normal black sneakers on, so that's a good thing for my height.

He brushes some hair from my right shoulder and rubs one start, making me freeze.

That one spot is my scar.

It's to be expected, but for once I was almost forgetting that! I guess that's why I keep putting sleeveless stuff on. He grunts and removes the hand like he doesn't notice anything. I smile and he leads me on.

_I want to be…a friend._

We're sitting on a park bench with pretzels. I munch on mine happily, water from a fountain behind us splashing on my back. He has his right arm stretched along the back of the bench and his legs stretched out, ankles crossed. His left hand is clutching his own pretzel, and I'm actually quite satisfied with my choice of sitting on his left. My knees are curled up to my chest, my pretzel in my right hand and my left hand picking off bits and pieces. Ikuto turns to me with a sigh. "What?" I blink at him.

He cups my cheek with an empty left hand. It's not surprising, since we've been here fifteen minutes. "Like I said, prettier with blue eyes."

I huff. "Are you going to let that go?"

He shakes his head with a smirk. I sigh and stand up to throw out the pretzel wrapper, walking across the way and tossing it in. Then, out of nowhere, Nana and Quartz fly up. "MAKI-CHA!"

"DIDN'T YOU WANT TO STAY HOME?" I yelp.

They nearly strangle my wrist, making me raise a brow and I chuckle. Quartz flies up to my face. "Hey, are you going to keep the contacts on?"

Nana flies to the right of my face, making me turn. "Yeah, you heard what he said! It's better for you to look more like you and nobody else!"

I smile and take them out, chucking them in the garbage. Nana and Quartz cheer and I giggle. "Guys, go keep Yoru company, okay?"

They nod and fly off, so I walk back and Ikuto smiles. "Hmm, I wonder where the blue eyes went." I roll my eyes and roll my knees up to my chest again, but my stomach rumbles _again_. He chuckles and brings one knee up, resting both hands on the knee and his right temple on both hands. "Still hungry, are we?" I shake my head in denial, but let's face it, he's smarter than your average cat I guess. He chuckles. "I'll go get us some ice cream. What do you want?"

I shrug. "Surprise me, okay?"

"So worms with sewage?"

I roll my eyes and ruffle his hair. "Alright, cookie dough."

He nods and stands, walking off to what I assume to an ice cream vendor. I lean back and look up at the sky, but some laughing echoes in my ears. I raise a brow and look down to the normal level to see that 'Saaya' and her posse. "Why, hello!" she waves. "How are you?" I blink and look up again, but she leans over, blocking the sky. "So, why don't you come to school anymore?"

I huff and she steps back, allowing me to stand up off the bench and clench my fists. "People threw stones and stole my bag. So why would I go there anymore?"

She blinks. "That was the high-school students. They're gone now."

"I don't care!" I snap. "I'm not going back! Besides, there are always schools online…"

"You can't make friends online," Saaya smirks. "Come back to school, and I can get you all the friends you want!"

I growl, making sweat start to fall from her face. "Look, I have friends, so go off and suck it, missy."

I sit back down and she starts biting a handkerchief. One of the girls in her posse comes up to me and places her hands on her hips. "That wasn't nice!"

"So?" I spit. "People in life aren't nice."

"So? It doesn't give you rights to be a jerk!" another scolds.

"Look, back off!" I stand again.

"Make us!" one of them pushes me. I trip back on a rock and crash into the fountain water, making Saaya laugh with triumph. Of course, something has my shirt, so I can't surface. I struggle, but the thing won't come loose. Jeez! How long is Ikuto going to take? I unhook the shirt and pull myself up, glaring at the girls. The girl who pushed me in, a brunette, is covering her mouth. "I…I'm sorry…"

I look down at my shirt, spreading my arms out while looking at it. "Aw man! Thanks a lot!" I scream. I try to wring it out. "Man…this was new!"

"It's water, it'll dry," a raven head reminds.

I glare. "Look, just stay the F*CK away from me!"

I try to stomp past. "It's not our faults you're such a weirdo!"

I freeze and turn back to Saaya. I bite my lip and turn right back around, only to walk into two of those boys throwing rocks. "Hey…it's that kid again…" one says.

"Look," the second sighs. "Sorry."

I shove past. "I don't need your stupid sympathy," I mutter. "I'm fine all by myself."

One stops me. "Hey, can you just forgive us?"

I kick the guy in the shin from behind me. "You threw rocks. That wasn't really nice. What was I doing?"

I walk off and I look up into a tree. I lean against it and slide down, hugging my knees to my chest and burying my face. I hear heavy footsteps and they stop soon after, resuming and stopping next to me. "Hey," I hear Ikuto sigh, "what are you doing here?"

"That egotistical brat showed up," I mumble into my jeans, "and then those jerks from your school."

I hear Ikuto sit down next to me and I feel him poke my arm with his pinkie. "Do you want your ice cream or not?" he sighs. I look up and accept the cookie dough ice cream he's offering. Knees still up to my chest, I hold the waffle cone with both hands and lick the swirl once. I see Ikuto has chocolate, just plain chocolate. I smile and look up. This is nice. This is peaceful. Of course, it is until he speaks again. "I never thought you'd agree to go on a date with me, to be honest," he chuckles, knowing well enough that I'd react stubbornly.

"This isn't a date!" I defend. "This is just…"

"A date," he laughs.

"NO! It's just…hanging out…you know?"

He shakes his head. "A date."

"Oh shut up."

He chuckles. "Whatever you say."

I turn around and smile. Eh, so what if this is a date? What does he know? I feel him put his arms around my neck and I blush. "What the…"

He takes them back and I see the back of a necklace. He plops the pendant from out behind my back onto my chest and puts his lips next to my ear. "Happy late birthday."

I smile and he nibbles the frame of my ear before standing and walking away, eating his ice cream. I smile down at the necklace. It's that skull necklace I've been wanting. Then I realize he could've just attached it without his arms always around my neck. I stand up and I see him bending down, laughing with one hand over his ribs. "STUPID PERVERT!" the trees echo.


	14. Big Heart Risistance

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 14_

**Big Heart Resistance **

It's Thursday, and Amu-cha is staying over for dinner, so since she's done with school, she's here, next to me on the couch, yawning along with me through Titanic, an American movie I had one pain in the as* time getting the translated version for _certain _people's sake! Amu stretches her arms and I stand, getting the cake out. "Eh, Amu, want any of the cake?"

She shrugs and walks over to the counter, sitting down in one of the chair's and us letting the movie run on without bothering to pause it. I slide Amu a cake slice and take out the one I'm still working on. May I say it's one fat slice, probably a fifth. I scoop up the fluffy chocolate and drop it into my open mouth, squishing it in between the pallet and the tongue. I feel someone nibbling my ear and I spit all the cake out, it all dripping off Amu's now slightly frustrated face. I nervously chuckle and she glares behind me. "Was that necessary, Ikuto?"

I just know he's nodding. "What's it to you, Amu?" he chuckles. He hugs my waist, so I nervously shove more cake into my mouth. "Last time I checked, she doesn't mind."

I swallow the cake and nearly choke, turning to him with only my head, since my waist is kind of stuck. "I DO _NOT_ ENJOY IT YOU PERVERT!"

He pats my waist with one hand and slips them off, shoving them into his pockets. "You're transparent, you know that right?"

I huff and flick his nose, having nothing else. I yawn and shove more cake into my mouth, Amu doing the exact same. "Hey Maki, I heard they're having some music festival in the park nearby."

"Really?" I smile, swallowing. "Cool. Wish I could go if it wasn't for dinner."

She smiles. "Well, it's going on tomorrow to, so I'm sure we could arrange something with your parents."

"As long as," I jerk my thumb to Ikuto, leaning against the counter with his back to my right, "doesn't come along."

He chuckles. "Did you forget Sunday?"

Amu blinks. "What happened on Sunday?"

I wave my hands wildly. "N-Nothing!"

"Something happened," Ikuto teases. "Something Maki here is just too stubborn to admit."

"S-Shut up!" I turn to him. "At least I have some common sense to LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE!"

He smiles and just pats my head. "You two are the best to tease."

I growl and he chuckles, shoving his hands into his pockets once again. "May I say you're a jack as*?"

He shakes his head. "That's not really nice, now is it?"

I slap his smiling head upside the back. "Look, Ikuto, if you want to come, you're coming on your own, not with us. Got that?"

He nods, smirking. Jeez I just gave him an idea. Nana and Quartz fly down and hand me some flyer. "Maki, Maki!" Nana cheers. "Can we go to this?"

I accept the flyer and freeze. "Uh…uh…"

"Please?" Quartz begs.

"What is it?" Amu raises a brow.

Ikuto tries to see, but I shove it in my pocket, doing my best to hide it. "I-I-It's nothing!" I panic. "Nothing at all! Um…I have to run an errand…help yourself to the cake."

I run out of the house and out of the front yard, skidding in front of the mail box and the placard above reading 'Kia'. I jerk the mail out and end up scraping it up pretty bad. I wince and I hear someone chuckle. "So you're the infamous Maki Kia?"

I freeze and look behind me to see a young woman with russet-like long hair and glasses. "Who are you?" I demand, turning completely with my fists clenched.

She chuckles and takes a step forward. Jeez, how do all these people sneak up behind me? I slightly gasp and take a step back, my shoulder blades touching the metal of the mail box. "Why don't you come with me, huh?"

I gulp and take a huge puff of air. "NANA!"

Nana soars out and the pendant appears. I jump left and start striding, slamming into the door of a black car. Nana winces. "That had to hurt."

The pendant disappears and someone steps out of the door that slammed into me. They grab my shoulder and I scream. "IKUTO! AMU! SOMEBODY! HELP!"

The guy slams the back of my head into the door. "Shut up!"

I blink and look around. There are so many possibilities for an escape…I gasp and shut my eyes tight, clutching the side walk with all my might. "MY HEART: UNLOCK! CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION: QUARTER NOTE POSITIVE!" The quarter note appears on the chain and a glow blinds the man long enough for me to slip some note shaped katana and slam it into his chest, his grip loosening and my freedom gained. I jump onto a pillar used at the corner of one of the walls and place the note on my shoulders. I wink. "Special weapon: Katana Note!"

"What?" the woman gasps. "She shouldn't have a weapon already!"

"Says who?" I chuckle.

"Stop it, Maki."

I gasp and turn around, Katana Note pointed down and the white, baton handle clutched firmly in my right hand. I blink to see Ikuto in his Character Change. I blink and blink again. I bite my lip and nod, Katana Note disappearing along with the pendant. "Yes, Ikuto."

I jump down, but I land on it wrong. I wince and crash to the ground. Ikuto freezing in a gap and running over, supporting me up. Lucky thing for those two on the other side of the wall is that the gate was slammed shut, so…Ikuto chuckles and pats my head. "You love falling, don't 'cha?"

I roll my eyes. "Jeez."

He smiles and sits me up, slowly turning my ankle to the correct position. I must admit, it hurts, but it works. "Stupid," he finally chuckles. "Don't jump off stuff like that."

I blink and tilt my head. "Why would you care?"

He smiles up at me and gently guides me up. "Relax, I'm not heartless."

I flick his nose, making it wrinkle and making me laugh. "Aw…that's so cute!"

Yoru, of course, flies up in defense. Where do all these Guardian Characters pop out from? The side of a TV screen? "IT'S NOT CUTE! IT'S JUST THE WAY CATS ACT!"

"The way cats act is cute!" I snap.

"NO!"

"The smaller, the cuter," I tease.

"SHUT UP!"

"Yoru," Ikuto chuckles. "I think she has a point on the 'the cute are the small'."

Yoru grows slightly depressed. "Not you to…"

I laugh and Ikuto smiles. "I guess what they say is true," he sighs, standing.

I stop and raise a brow. "What do you mean?"

He turns, the ears and tail disappearing. "The bigger the heart, the more resistance it can offer." I blink, raising a brow. He chuckles. "How did I know you wouldn't know that?"

I freeze and look down. _"Jima! Hey Jima! When's your birthday?"_

"_Leave me alone."_

"_But Jima…"_

"_I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

"_He said sorry…"_

"_I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! YOU BRATS! THAT WAS DADDY'S! Daddy loved the violin…"_

_A…a black egg with a white 'x'?_

I blink and fall back on the grass, staring at the sky. "J…Jima…"

I feel Ikuto's hand on my forehead. "Maki, who's Jima?"

I blink and gasp. _"Daddy!" I greet Dad when he gets home. "Daddy!"_

"_There's my little one!" he laughs. "Hey, where's Jima?"_

"_Who?" _

_He chuckles. "Your mother, sweetie."_

I blink up at the clouds. I feel the 'X' form. I think Ikuto starts to panic. "Maki!" he strains. "Snap out of it!"

"J…Jima…"

Purple flames burst around me. I loose all hope for anything, I'm just existing. My body lifts up onto its feet weakling, the knees buckling and the arms drooping. Ikuto tries to step close, but a ring of purple fire rises from the ground. I was _born _with this because Mom…Mom had an 'X' egg all along…she just fought it… I scream. The claws shoot out and I hold my head. No…not in front of Ikuto…The claws are fighting whether to stay out or go back in, so they're going back and forth, back and forth. I scream again. Amu is out, now I notice. _"Mommy…where's grand-pappy?"_

"_He's been dead for a while, Maki-cha."_

"_Why?"_

_She frowns. "Poisoned. He was a great violinist though."_

I freeze completely. Ikuto had a violin once or twice…huh, that's odd. I blink and something happens. The flesh above my abdomen explodes and blood with frost circles me around and around, a block of ice with veins coming from inside my body stretching out. I'm like a puppet on strings, the puppet just clutching the single handle, letting me dangle. Above that is the egg with the 'X'. My origin. Mom passed it to me by accident…_ "Daddy! Look! I have a violin of my own!"_

"_That's nice dear."_

"_I want to be just like you when I grow up, a violinist married and a kid and EVERYTHING!"_

"_Even the old man factor?"_

"_Oh daddy!" _

_Childish laughter. _

"**IT'S ALL HER FAULT! I'M LIKE THIS ALL BECAUSE OF HER!"**

"Who are you talking about, Maki?" Amu wonders.

"**It's her fault…SHE HATES ME! THE LIAR!"**

"X-Negative…" I throw my head back. "SHUT UP! GET BACK WHERE YOU BELONG!"

"**IT'S HER FAULT!"**

"IT'S NOBODY'S FAULT BUT YOURS THAT YOU DECIDED TO GET IN MY BODY! YOU'RE HER X'EGG!"

"**Her fault…HER FAULT!"**

"Maki!" X-Negative looks down to Ikuto with my eyes, the veins pulling me like strings. "Stop this! You're better than this!"

I freeze, both X-Negative and A-Negative me. "Better…**better…**better…"

"Maki-cha! It's me, Mommy!"

I gasp and smile up, the X-Negative becoming transparent. "Mom?"

"Maki!" she smiles. "Listen, whatever it tells you, don't listen!"

I cringe and one of the veins burst, making me scream. **"YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT!"**

Ikuto and Amu stare at Mom. "What…" Amu blinks.

Mom sighs and walks closer, taking off her glasses and looking up, looking somewhat younger than thirty-six. "Kip, I never meant to hurt you. I was just depressed…"

"_**You forgot your wish to become what your father was…" **_a small, Guardian Character voice fades.

I roll into a ball. "MY HEART: UNLOCK!"

Nana nods and flies into her egg. _"CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION: ROSE NEGATIVE!"_

I yank the veins down and do something I regret doing in front of a boy. Next thing you know, I'm hands and knees on the ground, puking everywhere in my range. Ikuto rushes to my side, rubbing my back up and down. Mom comes over and hands me a little medicine. I hold in what puke I have left and gulp the thick liquid down. I look at Mom for a minute. "Mom…" I start, "…why did you loose faith in your Guardian Character? Why did you never tell me you had one?"

Ikuto pats my back. Mom smiles. "Everyone has one," she reminds me. "It's whether or not they hatch. My father died when I was young, and I entrusted his instrument to a friend who's father knew mine well, but it got lost. I was angry, and I can't take it back." She turns to Amu, who's stuck to the ground by something. "You probably can move now, since Kip is hibernating."

"Kip?" Ikuto repeats. "Your guardian character?"

She nods. "I loved my father, especially when he played the violin…" Ikuto freezes in astonishment. "…I wanted to be just like him, a friendly violinist. But then I doubted it all when I heard the violin was lost…"

"You had one though…" I point out.

"Broke," she sighs. "Although, I guess what they say is true, the bigger the heart, the bigger the resistance is!"

I huff. "You two could be cousins for all I care…"

Mom pats my head. "Now, why don't you get cleaned up? Dinner's soon!"

I gap and look at my watch. That's when I puke in my lap. So much for bigger heart! AH! Ikuto just saw that! Wait…WHY DO I CARE?


	15. FUTURE WHAT?

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 15_

**FUTURE WHAT?**

I yawn and brush my teeth once more, my bra and underwear the only things on, seeing my mom has to wash them. Dad is still not here and Ikuto is laughing his guts out downstairs, which is P*SSING me off to be honest. Amu is holding my hair back, since she's a girl, it's alright I guess. "Jeez…" I sigh, spitting out the last of the toothpaste and mouthwash. "That was embarrassing!"

"Well, it's not like it happened right in front of your biggest crush or anything," Amu chuckles.

I nod. True, true…I think. I'm not sure _what _to think anymore to be truthful. Someone knocks on the door and I slightly curse. Amu hands me the robe Mom set out and partially opens the door. "Oh what do you want Ikuto?"

I freeze and sigh, hugging my ribs. Jeez, that guy is making me feel all weird inside! I look over to see he put his foot in the door as if to ensure that Amu wouldn't slam it on his face (which I'd prefer she do). "I just want to see if Maki is alright…" I hear him sigh, knowing full in well he's smirking as well.

Amu huffs. "Too bad!"

She tries to close it, but the D*MN foot is in the way. "Maki!" Ikuto calls. "How are you holding up?"

I smile weakly. "Someone keeps letting the F*CKING cat loose…"

Amu rolls her eyes. "You know, someone should get a leash for…"

"Her," I finish with a smile, making her giggle.

"Would you cut it out with insulting my gender?" Ikuto sighs happily.

"Eh, sorry, I just keep thinking you're a flat-chest chick with a D*CK, that's all."

That's when the door nearly opens all the way, so I duck into the cabinet. "IKUTO!" Amu scolds. "DO YOU EVEN KNOW IF SHE'S DRESSED OR NOT?"

I huff and look around. I blink at a little package and pick it up, unwrapping it to see a little deck of cards, a fortune telling guide, and all that stuff. I smile. I used to love doing stuff like this. I open the kit and look through to find my own horoscope. 'You'll find love today!' I huff. I hear a soft tap on the cabinet. "Maki, dinner's ready," I hear step-Dad inform.

I jump and slam my head against the roof of the cabinet. "YAHAHNYA!" I scream, rubbing my head. I start to whine. "Ugh…stupid Ikuto…"

I hear him chuckle and I push the door open, fresh clothes resting on the towel rack and step-Dad just out of the room. I smile at the fact I'm alone to dress and I drop the robe to the floor, shrugging on the black tank top and pulling up the light, torn jeans, my favorite black boots tight round the ankles and a sky-blue belt with a silver belt buckle representing a skull, slightly tilted above the X-Negative area. I pull my hair into a high ponytail and check my eyes to make sure the contacts are off. The black streaks still remain in the waves of hazel, but the deep blue eyes remain unchanged. I place on a slight smile and the door bursts open, making me jump and scream.

"MAKI!" Nana cries. "WE HAVE TROUBLE!"

I blink and nod, following her into…my room? I force the door open and there, above the headboard, is one of those 'X' eggs. I gasp and I see it looks just like the one that came out of my abdomen, yet again I bet they all look like that though. _**"Viola…" **_it moans.

Oh great, my mom's egg. I huff and jump onto the bed, Quartz struggling with Nana to shut the door. "Oh shut up and listen!" it freezes. "Your job is to make people realize their dream, to keep it, isn't it? If so, why are you X-ING yourself out? Mom has fought long and hard for you to stay with her, so wake up and RETURN TO EARTH!"

The egg levitates and the black disappears, turning into an egg with a glowing white violin on it with a heart in the background. A lovable violinist. The egg plops into the sheets and I pick it up. I look at the two. "Get the house."

_I want to be…a friend._

"We're here!" Mrs. Hinamori (I believe) calls once step-Dad gives her access.

Amu knocks on my door, having been here almost all day. "Are you alright Maki-cha? You've been there for at least an hour!"

I cover Nana and Quartz's mouths. "E…E-everything's fine!" I stutter, the house locked onto the side of my belt. "I-I'll b-be out in a second!"

I hear Ikuto chuckling, which makes my teeth grit. "It sounds like you stuck yourself on an iceberg, stupid."

I huff and my left hand sets the egg onto the bed gently, the right still covering the Guardian Character's mouths. "Yeah, well you always sound constipated or on a man period, so THERE!"

"How would you know what constipation sounds like?" Ikuto teases.

"S-Shut up!" I growl, fussing around with the egg to get into the house and STILL trying to figure out who I need more. "A-At least I'm not a stalker kitten mother with a perverted mind!"

I huff and someone gently sets their head on the door. Amu laughs nervously. "Maki, warning, jump-out-the-window." Then I hear her leave.

I gulp and laugh nervously, shoving Nana's egg in and handing Quartz hers, since Quartz needs to stay out for the culture today and at the concert tomorrow. Nana flies into her egg and Quartz stays out, floating next to my head. "J-Just tell my mom I'm coming down shortly, okay?"

I hear a shuffle and then footsteps going away from the door. I smile and Quartz taps my chain, making the quarter note appear. I feel, happier, more cheery. "That ought to help with entertaining!"

I blink, the pendant disappearing out of my doubt of my ability to _entertain_. "I'm not," I shove my hands into the jean pockets, my eyes shut and my head tilted down and left. "If you want them entertained, give Yoru a ball of yarn a-"

Yoru bursts in, hearts for eyes. "WHERE'S THE YARN!"

I scream and jump back, crashing into a wall. "JEEZ! Yoru, if you want yarn, it's in the-"

He already has it. "YARN!"

"IKUTO!"

"He's outside honey!" Mom calls up.

I groan and leap for Yoru, but he flies up. "GET BACK HERE YOU F*CKING HAIRBALL!"

I slam into the window frame in the next leap. "Hey, I'll stop! But cut it out, you'll hurt-NYA!"

He dodges my next leap, which brings me head into the ceiling, more like attic actually. Wait…we have an attic? SWEET! Why am I just learning this? (Sigh) I'm sure it'll come in good use some time. I push my head out of from between floors and crash into an ocean of sheets and pillows, buried alive in my own bedding. How ridiculous. "Yoru," I hear Ikuto sigh, "stop giving Maki a hard time." I hear his footsteps draw closer and start unburying me, starting with the head, since I need AIR! He smiles as I gasp for air. "Saved by a black cat, huh?" he teases my superstition.

"Shut up," I roll my eyes.

I jump up and pat my clothing to make sure it's not dusty and race Ikuto downstairs, both of us trying to push the other to slow down. We're laughing and when I jump off the last step, his foot lands on the floor first, so of course he smirks and chuckles. "I win," he claims.

I widen my eyes and gap. JEEZ! I huff and finally land on the ground and start punching him, playfully of course. "Jerk!"

"How am I a jerk this time?" he wonders with a smirk. Here comes the tease… "Maybe if you actually grew, maybe you could get some distance for once."

I huff and slap him upside the head. "Perverted Kitten…"

"Do you even know what a pervert _is_?"

I blink. "Uh…yeah. Who doesn't?"

He shrugs. "Then I guess you know perverts are the ones who always _enjoy _sexual harassment."

I freeze. "Uh…"

He smirks, looking down at me from the corner of his eyes, hands in pockets as usual. "Either that, or mere physical contact with the type of sex they so desire."

I huff, which turns into my own smirk. Oh, he made a mistake. "Is that why you always nibble my ear all the time?" I giggle.

He shakes his head. "It's to see who's the pervert and who isn't. You are a pervert."

I freeze. "W-WHAT! OKAY! WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!" He's just holding his face in his left hand, laughing and leaning against the outside of the stair rails. "OKAY!" I take a large intake of oxygen and calm down a bit. "May I say I have NEVER enjoyed physical touch? Trust me, no matter what you do, I won't-"

He sticks his right hand into my right pocket, his arm rubbing against the back of the shirt and his face leaning next to my ear. I blush slightly. He chuckles. "Then why are you blushing…_Ma_?"

Okay, I'm sick of it. HERE'S THE EXPLANATION FOR MY NICKNAME!

_Girls were chatting to Kio one Sunday afternoon and I was sitting on my own on the oldest park bench in the area. I was looking up at the sky, wondering why adorable black cats had to be so unlucky. That's when a little girl I saw often in the park come up, tugging my green school skirt. "What?" I smiled at her._

"_Ma…Ma…" she tried to address._

"_Ma-KI," I giggled._

"_Ma!" she laughed._

_The girls turned and all laughed, thinking the girl was stupid and thought I was her Mommy. Kio…Kio actually thought it was cute._

So there you have it. My nickname came from a _six-year-old_. It's unfair, because when he says it…it makes me feel…well…He clutches the thigh from inside the pocket and I gasp. JEEZ! WHY IS THIS RATED T? THIS IS PRACTICALLY RAPE! Well, not that I've ever been raped, but this is probably the closest thing in my life that goes to that, even though it's probably a long shot. He momentarily licks the frame of the ear and I shut my eyes, trying to find a way to get the tomato face to disappear. He chuckles in my ear and nibbles it for a second before slipping the hand out of the pocket gradually, sticking it back in his own and taking his mouth back. I blink down at the floor, slightly dazed. He chuckles again and walks forward, so I follow.

I walk into the room to smiling faces, and some kid runs up and attaches herself to my shins. Amu huffs and runs over, trying to pry her off. "Ami, come on! We've already went over this!"

I roll my eyes and watch Yoru and Quartz fighting over some milk bottle on top of the fridge. I huff. Jeez…Ikuto is already sitting down, an empty seat next to him and one next to step-Dad. Both are across from each other (Amu's is between my mom and Ami). I gulp. I don't want to sit next to Ikuto, otherwise it's 'me being a pervert' on SOME planet, and not next to step-Dad because…because…I sigh. I never really gave him a chance huh? Ami is off and runs over to her seat, Amu staring at me.

"Are you okay Maki-cha?" she wonders.

I blink down at the floor.

"_Daddy! Daddy!"_

"_Yes Maki?"_

"_One day, I'm going to America!"_

"_Oh, that's your dream huh?" _

"_No, that's fact! My dreams are-"_

"_Wait, dreams?"_

"_Yeah, I have two! I want to be athletic, like dancing and running and biking, so I can stay healthy and not be a blob to climb American mountains! The other, I want to become a reader, a composer, a writer, I want to be cultural, to be expressive, to be creative in any way I can!"_

"_Wow, those are big dreams."_

"_Yeah, I love them! One day I'll make them come true for you Daddy!"_

"_**Happy eighth birthday, Maki!"**_

"_**I want to be more athletic, just like I promised Daddy. I want to be able to climb the highest mountain!"**_

"**Happy eleventh birthday Maki!"**

"**I want to be able to be more creative with the things I do. The things I read, write, draw, my solutions, even if art gets silly, I want to be cultural, creative."**

Someone snaps their fingers in front of my face. "Yo, Maki-cha."

I blink and jump to see Ikuto leaning in front of me, a hand in my face snapping fingers until I actually get to my complete senses. He pockets the hands again and sits back down. I huff and sit next to him, making step-Dad sigh and I swear Ikuto smiles for once, not smirking, but smiling. Jeez…I really do not like this sort of thing. I keep remembering things, things I'd rather forget. Of course, when I see step-Dad smirk, I stand up and duck behind Ikuto's chair, scared out of my wits! Do you know how embarrassing this dude can be? "Say Maki, when did you meet Ikuto here?"

Amu and I freeze. It would've been nice to not hear that. "Uh…" I start, trying my best to puzzle up something. That's when the teal quarter note appears, and Quartz gives me a thumbs-up, her teal side ponytail swaying slightly. "The day after we moved here, I was walking and bumped into him! It was a little more like ran but…"

I smile up at Quartz and then she returns to fighting Yoru for the milk bottle. Jeez, if they don't stop-The milk bottle drops and shatters on the floor, glass flying everywhere and a little fragment almost catching Yoru, making Quartz stick her tongue out and cause the two to argue. Of course, Ran, Miki, and Su all come out of Amu's little box and try to break it up. Ami stares at them with wonder, so yeah, I have a strong feeling she can see them. I don't bother to ask. I feel something get into my eye and they start to tear up, so Quartz flies over, the others blinking, and rolls her eyes with a smile, so I do the same. Later, I blink and rub my eyelid to see an eyelash, so I wink at her real quick, making her smile with pride.

"Oh no!" Mom groans. "Boy…Maki, can you lead the other children to the Living Room? This might take a bit to fix…"

I notice that milk spilled on the stove burners. I nod and Ikuto and Amu stand, Amu carrying Ami to probably ensure no glass in to the feet. Ikuto looks at Yoru and he freezes, sweat dripping on his forehead, so he sighs and flies over in somewhat shame. Su, Miki, and Ran all revolve around Amu's head and Quartz floats over onto the roof of the house, tapping one of the plastic windows and Nana coming up with a smile, waving at Amu. I open the door and sigh. The room is a total mess! Sweat drips off my brow gradually, my eyes searching for a safe spot to sit not filled with sewing needles and pins. Unfortunately, that's impossible. Amu notices the mess and smiles.

"Don't you have a back room?" she wonders.

I smile, nodding and walking out once again into the room where I officially met Ikuto and Yoru, well, more Ikuto than Yoru. I plop onto the green couch and take the house off my hip, setting it in my lap. Ami is set onto her feet, running up to gawk at the house. Ikuto shuts the door softly, walking over to sit on the arm of the couch next to me. I set the box on the floor. "Eh, Quartz, Nana, have at it."

The house grows into a one foot by one foot by one foot. There is no front in the normal version (A.K.A-this) and it's made from real wood Quartz painted herself. Miki laughs softly in joy, admiring every detail. One little room has Quartz's egg, one Nana's, and another…I squeak and take the past X-egg, hiding it in my lap and hands. Ami and Amu alike raise brows, so Ikuto takes it as his job to lean in with a questioning gaze. "Maki-cha," he addresses, "what is that you're hiding?"

I blink and laugh nervously. "I don't k-know what you mean!"

Amu points at my hands. "That egg with the violin."

It rattles and I smile nervously. Jeez, who is having the urge to play the violin at this time? "What egg with the violin?"

It rattles again. _Look, I'm sure this sounds negative, but you haven't hatched yet. Please, just let me handle this. _The rattling stops. Ami puts her tiny hands on her hips, raising one accusing finger, aiming at me. "You hiding somthwing!"

I blink. "Don't you mean…uh…"

"She's not in school," Amu sighs.

I nod and the egg rattles. _Is this the whole loveable thing? __**Yep! I'm Kip, and I need to hatch sometime please! **__Jeez, CAN'T IT WAIT? __**I'll try, but I need to hatch soon, okay? **__Alright! _"Uh…I need to get the mail!"

I stand up, but Ikuto grabs the back of my shirt. "You're not going anywhere." I gulp and hear something 'clink' as it's taken out of a jean pocket. I turn to Ikuto and gasp. NOT WITH THE IPOD HOSTAGE SITUATION AGAIN! "What's that you're hiding?"

I gulp. Egg or IPod? Hmm…I scrunch my eyes and rip out of his grasp, running for the door and the edge slamming into the side of my left kneecap, a cut stinging, but I don't mind it. Years and years of cutting myself up, I think I'm done! I smile in my short triumph and keep racing forward, shoving out of the front door and skidding to a stop in front of the mail box. Wait…didn't I already _get _the mail? I huff and bring a brilliant idea to mind. _I'll get someone else's mail! __**Uh…**__Hey, MY story Kip, so the heroine decides what to do! __**Isn't this a new personal low though? **__Shut up, you're no fun anymore. _I look up into the sky. I have to admit, it is a pretty dumb idea. The clouds are grayish and the sky is fading away in orange and purple. I scratch the back of my neck and I hear a crack. I look down at the egg with wide, surprised eyes and a crack breaks through the egg in half, horizontally speaking. A little girl with a black bun, thin, gray-framed glasses perched on a tiny nose, a purple T-shirt, black sweats, brown boots, a white violin, a black bow gripped in her hands, and a lovely blush added to her albino cheeks.

"You're Kip?" I blink.

She nods with a smile. "Kip's the name," she plays a few harmonic notes, "and my specialty is the viola and socialism! Can I live with you? Your mother is busy, and…"

_You got cast off because she lost the violin…_I nod with a huge grin glued to my face. "Sure, just…try to sneak past Ikuto."

I run back in and when I open the back door, I slam into Ikuto, causing the both of us to crash to the floor with me on him. I blush wildly and practically fly off, lava red. I hear Kip chuckle and dodge into the house, Miki, Ran, Su, Nana, and Quartz all greeting her, Yoru up to his teasing once again. Step-Dad comes in and sees me blushing while Ikuto is getting up. I guess he isn't as dumb as I want him to be. "Hmm," he leans next to my ear, cupping a hand in front, "looks like you found your future husband."

I jump away, practically steaming and exploding. "NO! WHOA! WAIT WHAT! AH! THAT'S _SO NOT _WHAT HAPPENED! AH YOU SICKO!"

I'm running laps around the coffee table, Ran cheering me on with her little pink pom-poms, Ami clapping on the couch, and Ikuto laughing, covering his face with one hand, the left supporting his body behind him, the left leg on it's side and the right leg arching over, closing the left ankle in between the upper right thigh and the heel of the right foot. Mom calls in dinner and I race Amu this time, both of us laughing. The Guardian Characters are all in the house, playing and talking while we humans have our own conversation.

_I want to be…a friend._

Of course, here's something Ikuto brings up. "Maki," he whispers in my ear.

"What?" I laugh, having heard something Amu heard in school.

"You know you're supposed to zip up the jean fly even if you're a girl, right?"

I flush out ghostly pale and look down. Yep, wide open. I groan. I can't fix it now! People will think I'm playing with myself! "Darn it…"

Ikuto smirks. "That's really dirty if you ask me."

I freeze and glare at him. "W-Who asked you?"

Step-Dad smiles. "Huh, you even fight like them."

I grow red. "He's not my future husband!" I mouth, covering my mouth on the right so Ikuto can't see. Of course, Yoru enters right then.


	16. My Twin

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 16_

**My Twin**

"Not your future husband, eh?" Ikuto chuckles.

My veins pulse under the skin. "Look, I get it, you're holding that over my head, but at least GET OUT OF MY BED!"

He shakes his head, staring at me with those deep blue eyes on my left, while I have the sheets and blankets up to my nose, seeing my two-piece pajamas are, like every other one, _loose_. He scoots closer and I yelp, one butt-cheek now off the right edge of the mattress. He chuckles. "Do you want me to sleep out in the cold? Down on the cold, hard floor?" I nod, which makes him click his tongue against the pallet and lean towards me, my body refusing to move, so I'm forced to lean back. "Now that," he smirks seductively, "is just cruel." I stare up at him, my gaping mouth unseen. "Why can't I just stay here next to you…" leans further in at kissing distance, "…_Ma?_"

I groan and throw the sheets onto his head. "FINE! Have the bed, but _I'm _sleeping downstairs!"

I storm up and swing the door open, slamming it shut with brute force. I trudge down the stairs with fatigue and slump into the back room, making sure the back door is locked securely and slump into the barf-green couch. It's freezing, but as long as I'm _FAR _away from Ikuto, I'm happy. I rest my head on the left arm and my feet on the middle of the very right cushion. I shut my eyes to darkness.

_I want to be…a friend._

_What is a friend? Someone who cares for another in that certain way that makes one laugh, help another, have an unbreakable bond. I'm standing in an office, and it's all so very real. It's night outside, frost lining the windows. A man has his elbows on a desk in front of him, chin on his hands. Ikuto is in front of him, that black uniform with the belts around the leg on presently just like today, last time I checked. His hands are in his pockets and he's staring at a brown wood floor with somewhat guilt. "You know it has to be done sometime," the man says. Ikuto doesn't answer. "We need that data. After that, she's useless. Either bring her here, or we're bringing her here, got that Ikuto?"_

"_Yes," Ikuto mumbles, walking out._

_Who's she? What do they want? Why is my body burning right now?_

_I want to be…a friend._

"Maki, wake up Stupid!"

I pop my eyes wide open to a sweaty face of Ikuto's. I blink and feel my forehead to a deep 'X' carved half way. I wince as the blood sprinkles on the tips of my fingers and sit up, seeing my mood watch on the coffee table does in fact read midnight. I huff and plop right back, Ikuto just sitting on the floor in front of the couch. I turn my head to see the back of his, his back pressed up against the front of the cushions and his arms crossed. I huff and shut my eyes. "If it get's too cold, go back to the bed for me, okay?"

I hear him chuckle and rest a hand on my right knee. "Good night, Maki."

_I want to be…a friend._

I yawn as some formation of warmth kisses my eyes. I flutter the lids to kick myself up, stretching out all big like and see the house is under the table, wider than before to nearly resemble a backpack. I lift it out of there to see leather straps, so I place it on my back and I see through the window the closed eggs, all shaking lightly with little snores. I smile and run upstairs, giggling lightly and the bathroom door flying open to greet my nose. I scream and cover the bloody bruised mess, my scream sounding more like an old man groan due to a closing of the nostrils. Step-Dad's blank, confused face appears from behind a door, and I rub my nose painfully.

"Thank you!" I snap, stomping the rest of the distance to my room, only to have another door slam. "YAHAYANYA!"

"Hey, that's my thing!"

I grit my teeth and step in, slamming the door ferociously behind me. "YORU!"

"NYA!"

_I want to kill that stupid fur ball._

"Now…(wince)…cut it out, the BOTH of y-(wince)-you!" Ikuto manages.

"Look, I know Heavy Lucy here broke your rib and all," Yoru sighs, sweat appearing.

"HEAVY WHO?" I grab him.

Ikuto wrestles Yoru out of my grasp, wincing nearly all that time. "Stop it! I'm sick of it!"

We freeze and I recall the nightmare. _Either bring her here, or we're bringing her here, got that…_

Ikuto?

I huff and stand up, clenching my fists. "You don't have to be here you know," I snap, eyes hidden. "If you don't like the F*CKING way I handle things in my own home…" I grit my teeth on a portion of my lip until I taste blood. "THEN YOU CAN JUST GET THE F*CK OUT!"

"Maki-cha!" Nana cries.

"Kia-chi…" Quartz trembles.

"Maki…" Kip sighs, her glasses sliding down her nose a bit.

I can't see Ikuto's eyes. I'd rather not. I expect them to be filled with somewhat rage and claim 'I don't want to, so shut up brat', but he just stands. He walks for the window, looking back only slightly, the eyes never showing themselves. "Yoru."

Yoru freezes, eyes wide. "B-But Ikuto-"

"YORU!"

"Coming…"

Yoru flies over and Ikuto opens the window with one hand, holding it there and leaping out like a cat…no pun intended. "Good riddance…" I growl, slamming the window on my hand. "WHAT THE *WHOLE BUNCH OF CENSOR*! NYHAYHAYHA! F*CK, F*CK, F*CK!"

I back up into the nightstand and yelp, seeing I backed up into the edge. "Yikes…" Kip chuckles.

I growl and grab all three, sitting on the bed with them all sitting in my palm, staring up at me with confusion. I huff and shut my eyes, hanging my head. "Should I go with that thing with Amu tonight?"

"Ask!" Nana cheers, lavender pom-poms appearing.

I huff and shake my head. "Do NOT become Ran."

They laugh and I stand, running out. ALRIGHT! I'M-

_I want to be…a friend._

-"Not going to a concert so late!"

"But step!" I whine.

"No buts, Maki, you know better."

I grit my teeth. How many times has _he _said that? "No I don't apparently…"

"Honey, we should let her go," Mom smiles. "I mean, they will be supervised!"

I nod. "Yep."

"By who?"

"A friend of o-"I shut my yap. Right, I didn't want him to go in the first place. I can't use him as a ticket now.

"Nope, I refuse to let you go."

I glare up at him. "What gives you the right to boss me around? You're not even my real dad!"

"Maki!" Mom calls after me as I dash upstairs.

I slam the door shut and grab my cell, pushing numbers and lifting the receiver to my ear.

"Hello, Hinamori Amu speaking!"

"Amu, we're going to the concert."

_I want to be…a friend._

"Kip?"

"Present!"

"Nana?"

"Here!"

"Quartzite?"

"It's Quartz…"

"You guys can all fly, right?"

"YES!"

"The house is hidden, everything important is hidden. The door is locked, the necklace…"

"With you."

I nod and look down at the silver skull pendant. I throw up a fist covered with a fingerless black glove. "Let's go!"

We open the window and jump out. Of course, I don't FLY! I crash into the dumpster, the lid bending and twisting under my weight. I grunt and rub my head. **"STUPID! Are you **_**trying **_**to kill us both?"**

"You again?"

"**Well, I'm inside of you!"**

"Look, just leave me alone!" I jump off and start running for the concert. _"What do you want anyway?"_

"_**Look, to explain a few things about this 'patch of ice and blood'. It's not what you think!"**_

"_Okay, so what is it?"_

"_**Readers and dumb Maki, listen up! I'm a block (or cube) of ice and cold veins that only produce blood when the heart needs it, like a back up plan. Where the heart and veins meet open and closes, one of the many reasons why I'm ICE. Another thing…I DON'T CREATE THOSE 'X'S!"**_

"_Eh?"_

"Wow…" Kip blinks. "Tell us more, please."

"_**It's pressure of having the X-Negative, A.K.A-me. It's in my nature to be able to absorb the negativity and direct it to the person itself, not the guardians, in which you should be thanking me off your sorry-"**_

"_GET IT OVER WITH!"_

"_**-ALRIGHT! JES*S CHR*ST! Look, I've been TRYING to make you negative so you…uh…do something which I don't know yet, but it's supposed to allow me to turn into an actual body part or something. If I keep on being an ice cube in you…you'll die."**_

"You're trying to save Maki and yourself?" Quartz wonders, slightly panting.

"_**Yes, but in order to do that, she has to be REALLY F*CKED off, you know? I just can't find what makes her go BOOM!"**_

I stop running. "Jeez X-Negative, you could've just SAID so. How about we get to the concert and find out? There's bound to be heavy metal, and EVERYONE gets on the edge of their seats for that."

"**Yep," **it says. **"But I've heard this rumor…"**

"What?" Kip raises a little brow.

"**X-Negatives aren't always formed into a regular body part, or another Guardian Character of what I've heard…but a whole different person. A twin."**

I blink. "So you're saying…"

There's an explosion…

…and it's at the concert!


	17. Running Away

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 17_

**Running Away**

I run past the gates. There are several people lying limp, several standing with Heart Eggs soaring out. Amu is in a pink cheerleading outfit much like Ran's, so I can tell she Character Transformed. Black 'X' Eggs are hatching here and there, so I look down to my abdomen. "Come on, I need you." I look up to Kip. "Ready?"

"Yes!"

She forms into her egg and flies into the X-Negative, the combination therefore making… "My heart: Unlock! Character Transformation: Viola Negative!"

The purple T-shirt appears, the black sweats, the brown boots, the glasses, the violin, and of course the bow. Odd enough, there's a black 'X' on the back of the violin and it's glowing a slight shade of lavender. I ditch the stupid thought of it all and prepare the bow on the strings. I strum and black notes rise into the air, touching the eggs with the slightest and at least ten exploding at once, a LOT more where that came from (egg count). I gasp and pull the bow away. Kip gasps as well.

"X-Negative," she addresses, "you need to stay hidden! We can't destroy the eggs!"

The 'X' on the violin disappears and the glow fades into thin air. I shake my head to be sure of my conscious and now the eggs all target me as 'BAD F*CKING NEWS'. Sometimes I wonder why I don't just leave 'consideration' and other American Care Bear SH*T in the dumpster…I jump up to dodge an eggs attack and land on the top of some building. Amu is having a difficult time as it is. I grit my teeth and position the bow on the strings, strumming a rapid tune that repairs only three eggs, the rest are long gone. I grit my teeth harder and jump once more as an egg shoots something resembling a ray. Those characters with red 'X's are cackling and literally trying to MURDER us both! I try to strum again, but I'm struck by a black lightening bolt.

"Today's weather…HORRIBLE!" a 'X' character I guess laughs.

I widen my eyes and gap. This…hurts. It went directly through the X-Negative, and ice shoots out, coating the lightening bolt and throwing it right back at the character, destroying it. I grit my teeth as I look down. "Dude, we're trying to save them!" I scold.

"**DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT'S WORKING?"**

"Quartz!"

"What?"

"Come on!" I order. "Combine your powers with Kip!"

She blinks. "Is that even…"

Nana grips her shoulders and shakes them hard. "YES! NOW DO IT!"

Quartz yelps and gets into her egg, flying into my heart and a quarter note appearing on the chain, the T-shirt switching to teal and the color of the violin teal with a red quarter note covering the back. My hair is in a side ponytail, not a bun, and I grip the bow, sliding it across the strings slowly to bring a lullaby into the view. Every 'X' thingamagigs freeze and the hatched ones return to the eggs. The eggs whiten (NOT LIKE TEETH) and drop gently into bodies, I'm gathering the right ones. I smile softly and cease the song, the quarter note disappearing and a little white violin charm also disappearing. I jump down and land on my feet, Amu rushing to me.

"That was amazing, Maki!" she congratulates me. "How did you combine the characters though?"

I shrug. "Beats me, it's all to do with I'm unique. Now, why don't we help get this concert kicked off, eh?"

She nods and rushes up stage, dragging me for the ride. "Um…uh…is it okay for you guys to let this girl sing? She's really good!"

I blink at her in surprise and disbelief. TOTAL LIE! SHE HASN'T EVEN HEARD ME SING! Ikuto might have, but that's because I only sing in the shower and…yeah, stalker kitten…I sigh and the audience nods, so Amu hands me a microphone and runs off. I blink and Nana and Kip wave at me from the side of the stage, a little radio with a tiny heart on it. I'm guessing that's some plan. The quarter note doesn't appear, so I take a deep breath. I'll write these few lines down, since who wants to read a whole song instead of the story (to those raising hands, PUT THEM DOWN!)?

"So alone…so ALONE! Find me the people, find me the sky! Save me from the dark, turn me to the light! I refuse to die! I refuse to turn!"

"So enclosed…so ENCLOSED! Find me the people, find me the sky! Save me from the dark, turn me to the light! I refuse to die! I refuse to turn!"

"So dead…so DEAD! Find me the people, find me the sky! Save me from the dark, turn me to the light! I refuse to die! I refuse to turn!"

"I'm~so~gone…I'm~so~…gone."

The crowd claps, and I smile with immense pride. I love to sing in the shower, sure, but this isn't like anything I've been through. It's…wonderful. I look around, smiling and bowing without anything on the chain. I'm actually glad I snuck out! I swear I see a light blue violin case and drop the microphone, dashing for the area. The people laugh at my 'enthusiasm' and I laugh along. It's nice to feel relaxed, being able to feel free! I exit the area to look left and right. To my disappointment, he's not there. Wait, why should I care where that stray ran off to? I cross my arms and look up to the night sky, all trace of stars and a moon wiped from this Earth with the murky presence of storm clouds. That's when my phone rings, and I hesitate to answer. Who is it? Is Mom worried? Step-Dad? I shouldn't risk it, not now. Something splashes on the tip of my ear and I jump, turning to nothing but the gate. I huff and sit on the ground, hugging my knees and burying my face. Why can't I forget that stupid cat? I throw my head back and scream, an 'X' carving itself. My three Guardian Characters, one not even truly my own, fly over from the stage, looking at me worriedly.

"Maki-cha…" Quartz whines.

"Maki-san…" Nana pats my head.

"Maki," Kip straightens, "be honest with your heart! You want to see him again."

I shake my head. "No…I just…need to…" another scream tears out of my throat. The claws are on their way. "X-NEGATIVE!" I scream. "WHO WAS…that voice?"

"…**If you're talking about that girlish voice, that was me (CHAPTER 11 D-) **(HEY! BE NICE TO THE READERS!)** Anyways…that's what happens with the ice situation, like a brain freeze, it hurts, and pain makes a person WACKO!"**

"That makes sense…" Kip places a hand on her chin.

"But why would she still be here if it's that dangerous?" Nana wonders.

"**It's been there since BIRTH, you dumb as*!"**

"Wow, she's JUST like Maki-cha…" Quartz laughs nervously.

I scowl. "What's _that _supposed to-"

"MAKI!"

I gulp and turn. CR*P!

_I want to be…a friend._

"This is a new low for heroines everywhere…"

"Should heroines even BE in this mess?"

"Shut up, Nana, Kip!" I snap.

"Hey, listen up!" Step-Dad huffs. "We don't have time to be worrying off the charts about you! So cut this bull for attention!"

"Dear…" Mom rubs the back of her neck.

"Look Jima, face it, she's been tugging on our hides for attention ever since we got married, so either you talk to her, or I'm dealing with this bad habit fair and square!"

I'm clutching my jeans on the right edge of the bed, looking down with gritted teeth. Mom huffs and leans against the wall, Step-Dad leaning against the door to her left. "Maki, sneaking out for a concert _is _low…"

I stand up, still looking down. "I told you I was safe. Why didn't you listen?"

"Honey…"

"Look Mom," I scowl up. "I'm twelve, not five. I know who's bad and who's good. I know who to trust and who NOT to trust. I also know that it was a mistake to remarry." She looks pained, but I keep it up. "I know what's right and what's wrong. I know that no matter what, I'll be who I am, nobody can change that! I'm a person who cuts herself up to try and numb the areas so I can defend myself longer. One thing I can do that you can't is use my dreams as friends and faithful companions. You threw yours away, so I'd like for you to save that CR*P…" I take an inhale, "AND STOP TELLING ME TO DO WHAT YOU COULDN'T!"

The window explodes, glass flying past me and into the walls around them. A bag sucks in everything I hold dear in the room, including the guardians and house. I start levitating and turn, flying out of the window with the lavender rose pendant on the silver chain. A red leather jacket is tight around me, open. Torn jeans above those black boots and a ripped up tank top with a pink skull and a gray bow on the cranium are all for warmth. The silver chain, the skull necklace, and a thin thread bracelet with two threads twisting around one another are my accessories, one of the multiple things to identify one. A wig spits out of the bag and I fit the hair on, making sure not a strand of hazel or black is visible.

This is my decision.

**I'm running away.**


	18. The Sewer

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 18_

**The Sewer**

The rain pours hard. Newspapers are handed out. I accept one and look around, seeing a 'MISSING PERSON' add. 'Maki Kia: Age twelve. Hazel hair and blue eyes.' I giggle and chuck it in a recycling bin. It's been at least three days. My stomach growls, since all I've had for food is scraps and stuff people give to me in return for favors. I lean against a wall and yawn, little drops of rain being caught with my tongue. It's the best water I can get. I trudge on and my boots squish-squish-squish constantly against the sidewalk. Dark allies call to me. Teens in baggy clothes stare at me, and a few high school students with umbrellas give me sympathetic looks. One navy colored umbrella freezes and turns to me, stopping at a crosswalk next to me. My guardian characters are in the house, in the backpack. I rub my thumb against the skull and the umbrella leans close, revealing a single strand of deep blue hair dropping down in front of a mystery eye.

"Yo," a deep voice greets, "where'd you get the necklace?"

I blink and take a step back. "It was a gift."

I hold the sides of my jacket and fold them in, shivering from the cold. I walk past the street once the light is green and take a left, lost by all means. Jeez, I'm through with seventeen chapters of this section in my life and I get what? Oh yah, the sudden urge to run and get killed slowly and painfully as it goes. The rain beats down on my head and my mouth now tastes of salt and blood from chewing on the backs of my lips. I walk into an alley and lean against the damp brick wall to the left, arms crossed and the hands rubbing against the opposite upper arm. I'm shivering like crazy and I stare up to the storm, putting on a brave face and pushing off the wall, trudging down the alley tired and wet. I sneeze and wrinkle my nose. Jeez, heroines should NOT be sick in these things! (Agree, or you ALL get my flu.) I grit my teeth and stare down at the squishing boots, a soft cackle ringing in my throbbing head.

"Well, look what we have here," a masculine voice whispers.

I hear the beating of a steel pipe against a palm. "Hey kid!" a second masculine voice speaks. "Come over here, why don't ya?"

"Hang out with us for a while!"

I keep walking, refusing to turn to them, and I hear a _slink_. I blink and start running, one of those B*STARDS chuckling a knife at my back and actually hitting my left shoulder. Jeez one shoulder is enough people! I jerk it out and turn chucking it and the second slamming the pipe across my right cheek bone. I kick the first it the ribs and jab the knife into the other's collar bone. The first punches and the second kicks my 'area', making me crouch down and the first to slash my cheek. The other smashes the pipe against my forehead, full-throttle. I groan and they try to kick, but I roll out of the way and hop up, kicking the second in the jaw and swinging the heel back to slam across the first's cheek bone. It shatters. I kick the other in the nose and the first tries to stab me, but I stomp on his hand and use that as a boost to get on the back of the neck, running as fast as lightening out, the first sending the knife to the back of my knee. I jerk it out and keep going at it. The rain pours, practically weathering me away.

_I want to be…a friend._

I'm not close to out of breath, but I'm still panting heavily. My eyes are burning with keeping an eye out, my head is throbbing, heart pulsing, pulses near BURSTING! I place a shivering left hand against a damp wall and fall against it, my hand now a pillow for my head while standing. I'm huffing, puffing, panting, and wheezing, my throat nearly on the brink of shutting. I shut my eyes, the bags continuously growing. I want to sleep. Just for one second the darkness that shuts me into hibernation…where I can't feel or hear anything but my dreams. The rain is coming down harder, my left shoulder is still bleeding, and my right knee where the knife was thrown is bent down, the other straight up against the wall. My chest is heaving in and out, in and out. It was afternoon when that fight occurred, now I fear it's near ten P.M. The streetlights are all shut off, making the streets all abandoned and dark, like the bottom of the ocean. The sky is a deep green with a powerful mix of charcoal. Every wall, every building is black in my eyes. I'm shivering, and the only thing I can see is anything a foot in front of me.

I inhale. I won't give up. I can do this on my own. **"STUPID!" **X-Negative scolds. **"IF YOU DIE, I DIE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS ALONE!"**

"It is suicide, Maki," Kip's teeth chatter inside the bag, the right strap hanging on my right shoulder, the other dangling behind me.

"No…" I whisper, my breath shaky. "I can…" I fall hard on the sidewalk.

"MAKI-SAN!" Nana cries, flying out of the bag and patting my cheeks. "It'll be okay! Just get up!"

"Maki-cha," Quartz comes in front of my nose, my eyes narrowed as if about to close, "just accept help!"

"This is foolish!" Kip scolds, now next to Quartz.

I smile weakly. "This is nothing…I can…I can…"

My eyes shut and my body falls completely limp, my forehead flat against the rain puddles. "MAKI-CHA!"

I sneeze, a grotesque mixture of blood and snot spraying all over Nana and Kip. They squeak and try to wash it off with rain. I cough up blood, a clot seeping in between the cracks. My clothes are all torn, whether on purpose or not. I grumble and step right back up. I'm sure I can do this. "It's not like…I'm weak or hurt. I'm just a human, so of course I'll get a cut here and there…plus…the world is just like that…"

Nana smiles at my enthusiasm and Quartz smiles bleakly. Kip, being the adult, crosses her arms and sighs. "Be warned," she sighs, "there are more of those people out there. You have to find a safe place to go, to be."

I smile and nod, jumping up and running. I don't care how many cuts I get…I'm going all the way! I won't give up! I-won't-be-a-girl! I feel a warm sensation and look down. I scream and cover it up. I'm a girl alright…I STILL GET PERIODS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!

_I want to be…a friend._

"I don't think this is what Kip meant by _safe_," Quartz sighs.

"Well, it's better than nothing," I snap. "So start eating!"

"I don't think eating _rat corpses _is particularly healthy…" Nana huffs.

I huff and munch on fried rat. Jeez what is with these guys? If they want to starve, they can, but I'm just saying starving is NOT an option for me! I sneeze again and it lands in the sludge stream, blood mixing with churned up kitchen remains. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm in a SEWER. You actually should've gotten that by the mere TITLE and the fact there are CHURNED UP KITCHEN REMAINS. (Sigh) People who got that before I told you get to pet Yoru, if I could actually find the runt! To be honest, Kip is half right. I can't live on my own, at least for any longer. I spent a full twenty-four hours of my life to find this exact spot A) not covered with mice B) not covered with rats C) not covered with insects D) not covered with old dudes (I'm serious I think that guy needed help). I grunt and munch on the tail, the Guardian Characters twitching their eyes and gagging. I smile and chuck the rat away.

"Would you rather me to _steal_?" I chuckle, sounding more like Ikuto by the minute.

"Or you could get some taiyaki," Quartz shrugs.

"Yeah, those are extremely cheap!" Nana cheers.

I sigh and shrug. "Just when I thought we were _going somewhere _with this story…"

I stand and look for the ladder to the 'human world'. I crawl up the rust, slicing lines into my palms and fingers, and pushing the plate up, frowning at the rain and some jerk as* steps on the plate, forcing my left hand to scrape off the rust and fall hard on the concrete. I wince and growl at the plate. I try again and get one hand through, but another person stomps on the plate, thereby crushing at least half the bones in the left hand! Jeez, people are such jerks when it comes to mysterious hands popping out of sewers! I slip my hand back and nearly crush my spine on the edge. The wig is soaked in some rotten corn and sludge slim, and I swear a rat claw, so I rip the wig off and chuck it, pulling out another wig, white this time, and shoving it on, pulling into a bun much like Kip's and shrugging off the jacket, shoving it into the bag and leaving the tank top on. I pull on some fingerless arm sleeves, the one on my left pink with black stripes and the one on the right black with light blue stars. Quartz hands me a pair of folded sky-blue shorts and Nana hands me pink sneakers. Odd, but it'll do. I exchange the torn jeans and black boots, shrugging the strap on and gauze popping out. That'd probably be a good idea, eh?

_I want to be…a friend._

"Thanks for the taiyaki!" I smile, chomping half the tail off.

"Eh, it was nothing kid. As long as you hand out the flyers, I'm fine with having it on the house."

The flyers are lying in my lap, so as I sit on this rackety old bench, I pass them out, chewing on the taiyaki. I guess people are sympathetic stupid dings, since they take one look at the multiple amount of bandages and gauze before accepting the flyer with a shining smile. Well, most of them. That old dude with three strands of grey hair on his wrinkly old scalp comes up, five black teeth and at least twenty wooden spikes lodged (most likely painfully) into the nerve area.

"MAY I 'AVE UN?" he cackles, his eyes closing into the bridge of the nose.

Police come after that.

_I want to be…a friend._

"Take care!"

"Bye!" I wave to the taiyaki stand owner.

I shove my hands into my pocket and walk into the middle of the street outside, jumping down the plate and landing on my feet, my hands still in their assigned pockets. Kip and Nana fly down, Quartz just resting on my shoulder. I stand up and look around. Nothing. There's just the walls, the sludge, and the swarm of beady-eyed rats coming after me. I widen my eyes and scream, flying out of the plate literally and glaring at Nana, eventually, I slam into a wall and people finally notice me. I blink and look down as I hang from an edge. WHY AM I CLINGING TO SUCH A HIGH BUILDING? I gulp and look above, seeing I'm higher than the half-way mark. I gulp and try climbing down, but I look through a window and almost drop. It's that dude that was ordering Ikuto in that dream. I shake my head and Kip places one green contact in the left eye, a brown in the right. Quartz sticks the butterfly clip in my bun and Nana places glasses, ones I swore Mom got me for some gag. I softly tap the glass and the man turns, raising a brow. I clear my throat.

"A…A little help? Please?" I ask, doubting the fact he can hear me.

He walks up and opens the window, dragging me in. "What's the purpose of this, young lady?"

I can sense the strain. "Um…I was looking for…Maki…Kia…" I lie. "W-We have something important to talk about. I-I'm sorry for the intrusion sir…"

He pulls an extremely fake smile. "Don't worry. Hey, why don't you tell me a little about this Maki?"

The door opens and I look over to that chick with the russet hair. "Sorry I'm…who's this?"

"A girl who knows Maki Kia."

I blink, pretending to be slightly clueless. "I'm sorry, but do you know Maki?"

He nods. "She's a good girl in my opinion, but extremely sick."

I gap slightly. "Sick? You mean physically right?"

He nods again. "Tell me, has she done anything weird in front of you?"

I blink as if in thought. "Yeah…she actually has…but I-I can't say! It'd disrespect her position of being so alone!" (What? I can't create my own image to look good?) "I REALLY hope she's okay! If you find her, please tell me, she's been through a lot and she needs her meds…" I cover my mouth. "SORRY! I w-wasn't supposed to say t-that!"

I jump out, landing on the ground perfectly and running, taking a left and hiding behind the wall. I puff. Phew! Man was that close! Good thing I'm the expert liar! I walk over to a Sewer plate and jump through, landing on something. I blink and something chomps my ankle, so I scream and look down. Rats, a whole bunch of them. Kip tries to bat them away, Nana beating them with various sports equipment (peaceful guardian characters), and Quartz is beating them with several instruments of creative trades. Eventually, they get higher and higher up my body, until they are able to eat away at my face. I throw them off, then a little blue spot comes, and a large black rectangle with blue on the top, seeing that the previously eaten rat probably effected my health more than it should have. Speaking of which…(gasp) DID I EAT A RAT GOD AND P*SS THESE MOTHER F*CKERS OFF? Probably. Kip flies to my face and bats the rats (no comment) off the face there, the others working on the important parts. One is chewing at my scar and I scream, a flash, some SLINK, and I pass out, tired, chocolate-lacking, and electronic-charging-requirement (should've brought more than one, especially when there are only specific outlets outside of places).

**I THANK YOU WHO HAVE BEEN READING THIS! THANKS FOR REVIEWING! THANKS FOR-AHH! IT'S PANDAS! JUST KINDING, I'M ON MEDS! SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER!**

**-_Maki K.-SAMA!_**


	19. The Passed On Sadness Revealed

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 19_

**The Passed On Sadness Revealed**

My body is stinging…I instantly make a mental accusation of X-Negative. **"HEY!"**

"_You're not that reliable…"_

I flutter my eyes open to a yellow ceiling. I blink, feeling at my eyes for the glasses. They're still on. I sit up rather painfully and look down at my clothes. The same. I pick up a mirror off the nightstand to check the contacts. Still the same. The bandages are cleaner, so I have to assume they were replaced, and new bandages are over certain locations. I push the right strap away and gap at the untreated scar. Kip flies over from where ever she's been and sprays it, Nana floating over with a clean bandage. I pick the glasses off and stare at them with curious wide eyes. Quartz pops up. "Hey!"

I scream and jump, leaning to far to the right and tumbling off the bed to a thick grunt. I blink as my knees are on the sides of someone and my hands are pushing against a boy's chest. I blink and take off the glasses, seeing none other than the stalker who cried pervert. "Well, someone woke up…"

I blink and hurriedly get up, grabbing the glasses and shoving them on. "S-SORRY!"

He sits up, one leg arching over the other and his left hand being used as a back support, the right wrist limp over the right knee up in the air. "What are you apologizing for? I enjoyed it…_Ma_."

I freeze and blink. WHAT? NOBODY CAN SEE THROUGH MY DISGUISE! "W-What? I'm n-n-not Maki! I'm a friend of h-hers!"

He chuckles and pushes himself to his feet. He cups my face and I blush, the heat probably addressing itself. "Maki, I'm not stupid."

"Y-You positive?" He chuckles and releases my face. I look around to see the door open. I yelp and go under the bed, clinging to the top. I hear a giggle. Wait…I pop out with wide eyes, glasses crooked. "Hinamori Amu?" I blink.

"Hey, Maki!" she smiles.

I frown and look down, fat sweat dripping down from pure disappointment. "Jeez…I can't even put on a good disguise…"

She laughs nervously and Ikuto swats my upper right arm with a newspaper. I take it and open up to that 'MISSING PERSON' ad with me as the star. I huff and he blinks at me, leaning against a sky blue closet. "Why did you run?" he demands with a slightly harsh tone and a frown.

"Ikuto…" Amu blinks.

I shove my hands in the short's pocket and bite my lip, scarred up at the back. I take off my glasses with one and the sleeve drops when I put my arm down. "It's none of your concern."

He scoffs, making Amu tense up. "Ikuto, if she doesn't want to-"

"Amu," he states, "her parents have called the house constantly. They're worried."

I roll my eyes. "I can do this on my own."

Kip and Nana, who were next to the basket with what I have to assume Ran, Miki, and Su's eggs, fly up. "Maki-san…" Nana sighs.

Quartz, who was on the bed, shoots in front of my face, making me take a step back, arms folded in front of my torso. "Maki-cha, Maki-cha! Cheer up! We got through this far! Like Kip said, you couldn't have lasted much long-"

I huff, making her freeze in mid-sentence. "Quartzite."

"Yes, Maki-cha?"

"Shut-up."

All three Guardians freeze. I feel the scar on the right shoulder prickle. Amu and Ikuto are wide eyed and staring. I shut my eyes and some invisible makes the wig drop to the floor making pure charcoal hair, fall down to my waist. I have no idea why it's like that, but I don't care. My arms are still crossed stubbornly in front of my chest. That one sleeve is draped over my foot from falling off. My back is having a huge, bloody 'X' carved into it. Nana blinks and winces, clutching her chest and dropping to the floor like a rock. "Nana!" Amu gasps, rushing over.

The three eggs open and Ran, Miki, and Su all fly out, rubbing their eyes with much fatigue. "What's going…" Su gasps. "Nana!"

Kip and Quartzite fly next to the in-pain Nana and I'm just standing here, letting the 'X' slowly carve itself. _**Be careful now. Once mistake and we could end up dying instantly. **__Got it. __**Just keep feeling negative. It should help us. **__Remember, you're practically helping yourself. __**You're dying if I die, remember that. Plus, X-NEGATIVE is because I'm BELOW ZERO DEGREES, you have A-NEGATIVE BLOOD, I'm made from an X-EGG (Kip), and I'm like you're OPPOSITE. You know how you're always 'what if' and 'why always me'? **__That's not-__**I'm glad you do. Well I'm 'we're doing this or you die' or 'get a move on you as*hole'. Got that? **__Look, can I just get out of Amu's house so they don't get clawed by you're overloaded caffeine part? __**Oh whatever! **_I turn, fists at my side, and walk for some balcony doors, but Ikuto seizes my right elbow crook, making me stop. He places a hand over the scar.

"Stop it," he commands in a soft voice. "Calm down."

"**Why should **I, Ikuto?" we ask. "Is it because, **you don't want us to be free from each other?"**

Amu gasps and Ran, Miki, And Su fly over to her. "Amu-cha!" Ran cries.

"What?" Amu looks at her.

"There's something awfully close to an X-egg near her!" Miki finishes.

"_**DADDY!"**_

"_Huh?"_

I freeze, eyes wide. _**"What's going on?"**_

"_**I TRUSTED YOU!"**_

I wince and fall onto my knees, Ikuto holding the right elbow with his left hand and wrapping the right arm around my waist to hoist me up. "Calm."

"_**Daddy, Daddy, I caught it, Daddy!"**_

"**What is the use of friends? Of family? Of love? They're all worthless pieces of junk which DIE!"**

"_**This is bad!"**_

"_What is it?"_

"_**It's Jima (or Mom)! This is the sadness from that created the X-Egg!"**_

I wince and clutch my heart. Ikuto hugs me close and Amu is trying to talk me into calming down, but she's just so…sad…so negative. I shake my head and hold back a scream. _"Shut up. Shut up! Love, family, friends, those are not worthless!" _Now that I said Love, Ikuto pops into mind. _"NOT WHAT I MEANT!"_

The feeling disappears, and my eyes grow heavy. Ikuto pats my head and nudges the back with the tip of his nose. "You're safe now. So sleep…" I close my eyes, "Maki."


	20. Paranoia

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 20_

**Paranoia**

I yawn and wake up to see I'm still in Ikuto's arms, just this time his back is against the closet again. I shrug out and stand, Amu sitting on the bed reading Manga. She smiles once she notices me. "Hello Maki! Are you feeling better?"

I wipe sweat off of behind the neck. Jeez mom's voice as a kid really freaks me out. "Y-Yeah…hey, do you think…"

"Mom already said yes," she cheers, sitting up. "Just don't eat everything."

I chuckle. "I'll be sure to do that."

She stands and walks over to a desk, so I sit against the wall next to it. I rummage through the backpack to take out my Manga, the seventh volume of Vampire Knight. She writes on paper and finally notices me intently reading this. "Is that good?"

I blink and look up at her, taking more than necessary time to comprehend the question. "O-Oh! Yeah, it's awesome."

I hear Ikuto yawn, the fact clear that he's stretching out with his ears and tail showing. "Jeez you two are loud…"

"I agree with Ikuto - nya…" Yoru exits from his egg, black with a wavy white stripe in the middle with black cat heads for the pattern. "Man that was a good sleep to - nya…"

I stand and walk over to Ikuto, grabbing a pillow off the bed and slapping him in the face with it. He shakes his head and sort of glares. "What the He**?"

"That was to wake you up," I shrug blankly, tossing the pillow back onto the bed and someone running up stairs. Out of habit, I yank Ikuto away from the closet and hop in, blockading the exit. Sure it's slightly stuffy, but do you think I care? No, I really don't.

I hear the door slam hard against the wall. Ikuto grunts and Yoru is squeaking his head off as loudly as possible. I huff and shake my head, trying to resist the urge to plain out say 'HA! F*CK THAT YOU D*CKS!' A little overboard? No, it's perfect, but I doubt I should say that when someone else is here. "KITTY!" Oh great… "Wait…where the pretty dancers?"

I gulp and feel someone trembling behind my shoulder blades. I huff and scowl back to Nana and Quartzite. I refuse to say anything, since I do sort of need them. That's when Ami (who else) starts to try and open the closet. Either Amu or Ikuto drag her away and lean against the closet, laughing nervously. Judging by the feminine tone, I have to guess it's… (Very tempted to say Ikuto…) Amu. "Uh…Ami! Don't you have s-school?"

"It is vacation," Ami huffs. "Where the dancers?"

Nana tugs on my left earlobe, so I turn. "Please don't see us out," she whispers.

"Yes!" Quartz (why not Teal) pleas next to her. "We'd like to live!"

I smirk and nod. I open up my pocket and they fly in, so I shrug out of the closet with one of Amu's hats falling on my head. "U-Uh…hi, Ami…"

Ami tackles my shins, making me fall back into the closet and the clothes to pour on my torso and face. I mutter and Ikuto tries to unbury me as the Guardian Characters plus Amu try to pry Ami off of me, well, save the two probably suffocating in my pocket. I pick the two out, their eyes swirling and their mouths hanging wide open. A cool hand grips my ankle and yanks me out from under, bringing me to the face of Ikuto, smirking (what else). "Yo."

I roll my eyes. "Get your hand off my ankle." Of course he uses the left to hold my wrist and yank me upright, releasing the ankle and embracing me. "NOT WHAT I MEANT!" He chuckles and lets me go, Ami fussing with Amu to stay in the room. I return next to my bag and set Nana and Quartz on the roof of the house inside. Unfortunately Ami saw the transition, so she runs over and I have to restrain her as gently as I can to prevent her from violating my Guardians in any way, not that she's a pervert. She's just a kid, not even in school, so who knows what she has in store? Yoru is in a dress, something that looks like you got it from a French mask ball, with long blue silk like cloth and ribbons and several cloth flowers. I shake my head. "Yoru, that's a disgrace to have a FRILLY DRESS on when you're a BOY…"

He grows red in the face. "Eh! I didn't want to be put in this thing - nya!"

I laugh and I notice that the bag feels only slightly lighter. I look back gradually to see Nana and Quartzite are gone. I widen my eyes as sweat forms, my fingers trembling. "A-Ami…" I huff and turn to her to see her run out. I gulp and chase after her, Amu after me, and Ikuto working on helping Yoru by trying to boost his confidence a notch. "Ami, I want my characters back!"

"SWPER CHARACTERS!" she screams, laughing and dashing into a room.

I stop and turn to Amu. "How do you live with her every day?"

She shrugs, panting. "You get used to it…"

We try to open the door, but that's not working. I grab a pencil and start working on the lock. It breaks of course.

_I want to be…a friend._

"Amu, Ami, we're…" Mrs. Hinamori announces before spotting us leaning against Ami's door. "What happened to you two?"

"Ami…took…something…of…hers…" Amu weakly points to the door behind her.

Ami walks out, Nana and Quartz both in those French dresses! "SWPER CHARACTERS!"

I huff and stand up, walking back to Amu's room. "Forget it. I'll just go on with my life…"

"HEY!" Nana and Quartz scold, flying out of the hands.

I stop to smirk. "My plan worked perfectly," I whisper to them as I go on.

"What plan?" Quartz asks, replacing the dress with her teal one and placing the red leggings back on, the teal ballet shoes thankfully not having been removed. "The plan to take credit for having a plan, but really just deciding to ditch us?"

I laugh nervously and rub the back of my neck. "Why am I so transparent these days?"

Nana sighs, twisting her purple beret to the proper position, her big iliac eyes narrowing with accusation. "Honestly, Maki-cha, we're your dreams. Do you want to throw us away?"

I stop and look around. "Well, at least Kip can hide herself."

They freeze and hang their heads. "Maki-cha…" they whine.

I laugh and pat their heads. "Don't worry. I spent hours trying to get you guys, remember?"

They nod and I re-enter Amu's room, seeing Ikuto napping on her bed, the tail waving and the ears twitching. I giggle. _He's really like a house cat, huh X-Negative?__**…**__What's wrong? __**Something's not right with him. **__What do you mean? Is he sick? __**Mentally. Look, somehow, I just don't trust him now…**__It's just paranoia talking. __**Yeah…I guess…**_I walk over to the bag and snatch out the house, de-roofing it to find Kip's egg neatly placed, shaking with snores. Nana and Quartz go at it ad start banging on the shell of her egg. Eventually they start shouting, waking up Ikuto and the sleepy baby of his (I hate the dude, remember).

"What is with you and loud noises today?" Ikuto yawns, his tail stretching far from his arms and back.

I shrug. "Eh, you'd have to ask them."

He sighs and plops back into bed, or at least tries to since they're still at it. I huff and try to at least bring some peace, but will they listen to me? Nope, not a chance, not at all, I'm not even here. Amu enters with her three characters and the four try to aid me, but when you have a guardian character and you mastered it not whining or WHATEVER, THEN you can come talk to me. Eventually I'm able to pry Kip from the entire mayhem and the five are at it, making Yoru's egg rattle and burst open, the feline himself whooshing over with a steaming temper. "SHUT UP SO I CAN GET SOME D*MN PEACE!"

You know I believe that's the first time I have _ever _heard him cuss, just to say.

_I want to be…a friend._

Mrs. Hinamori had to go again, and to be honest Mr. Hinamori doesn't look like a good cook, so Amu and I offer to make dinner, which he agrees to. Amu hands me an apron and we're writing down the names of those here (Ikuto, Mr. Hinamori, Ami, Amu, me). I write down 'fish' next to Ikuto, since he's part _cat_, no _duh_. Amu writes 'nothing healthy' next to Ami and 'omelet' next to Mr. Hinamori. I think about what I like and jot down 'tuna casserole' next to my name. Amu smiles and nods at the idea. Unfortunately, Su's here, so all I do is just pass ingredients. So what if Ami doesn't like it? Besides, three out of five want it (one doesn't care), so majority rule! After a while, I set down the bowl with the big spoon in the center of the table and sit down myself, Amu setting up the plates, seeing she's still in her character change. I huff and she sits down, Ami running in and automatically sitting in between Amu and I, meaning she's at the south end of the table, since we're directly across each other. She gawks at me, her eyes darting between each shoulder of mine. Well, I have news for her. Nana and Quartz are terrified of her now, so they won't come down for dinner.

Ikuto and Mister come down, Ikuto receiving a disbelieving glare from Mister. Amu told me in our futile attempt to retrieve my Guardians back that her mom allowed Ikuto's stay, since he was the one who brought me and he really (she froze and said 'uh…wanted to see if you were alright' in nervous tones varying from high to low). Ikuto sits next to me, making the Mister smile happily and dart next to Amu. I'm silent, tranquil, while Ami is jammed up on 'the dancer' mode and interrogating me on the whereabouts of Nana and Quartz or 'Pweety dancwers'. I mean seriously, she could _AT LEAST _speak clearly so I can type it here and not have to spell check every thirty seconds! Trust me, even Amu looks P*SSED by it.

"Ami," Amu huffs, "stop it. She doesn't want to talk."

Ami has fake-tear eyes, making _me _grit my teeth and bend my fork out of pure stress. I shovel some tuna casserole into my mouth and Ikuto leans into my ear. "You know if you keep using that hog hole of yours like that, you're going to get fat."

I glare at him, making him chuckle and return to his dinner. I sigh and slip out some soy sauce from my pocket. To put it simply…

"AHH! HOT! HOT! HOT!"

_I want to be…a friend._

As you can very well see, I'm going to have troubles granting my dream of becoming a friend. Ikuto is still in the shower, trying to treat the soy sauce wound. Amu is laughing with me, Ami just in her room, I think. I don't know what the Mister is presently doing, but I know he put Ikuto's pants in the laundry. Put 'pants', '"AHH! HOT! HOT! HOT!"', and 'shower' together. I didn't dump the bottle on his hands, since that wouldn't have worked, and I doubt hands are sensitive to Jalapeños. Plus, you don't put pants on hands; you can, but you don't. I hand Amu the first volume of Vampire Knight and she starts reading intently, as of me, until Ikuto swings the door open with a glare.

"WHAT THE F*CKING D*MN HE** WAS THAT F*CKING FOR?" he demands (in a butterfly sweet voice [psyched!]). "ONE JOKE AND YOU POUR SOY SAUCE WITH WHATEVER ON MY BALLS!"

You know, I kind of hate him now even more for spoiling the puzzle for you (the dumb people that is). I smile sweetly. "That's how they do it at my home!"

He sighs, shaking his head. "You're hopeless…"

"At least I can live for three days without my parents," I shrug.

He stops breathing for a second. "Whatever…"

Amu blinks and we exchange looks. Did I say something bad? _**Dude, it's probably something to do with parents. **__Maybe…_I sigh and Amu flips the light switch off, the Guardian Characters whispering excitedly before all of them fly into their eggs. I position myself up against the wall next to the desk and use the backpack as a pillow, Ikuto is on some bean bags with a blanket covering him, and Amu is on her bed. I shut my eyes to sleep, but somehow I can't. I take out volume eight of my Manga and read.

_I want to be…a friend._

I set down the completed Manga book and glance at the clock. It was 9 o'clock, but now it's 11 o'clock. I huff and shove the book in. Time for the next one…

_I want to GO TO SLEEP!_

I set down the Manga, not the least bit of tired, and discover it's a little over midnight. I huff and shiver. Maybe it's the cold preventing my slumber. I shrug out that torn jacket and drape it over me, but it's useless. I'm going to freeze for the night and will be forced to wait it out. I hear a small sigh and turn to Ikuto, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "Still awake?" he mouths. I nod, seeing he's apparently too dumb to figure that out. "Come here." I shake my head. "Fine," he shrugs. "Freeze."

He lies back down and I glance outside the balcony windows. A draft enters and I look down to see the jacket's gone! I glare at Ikuto, but he doesn't have it, he's just back to breathing lightly. I huff and rest back on the bag.

_I want to murder the sandman._

No result.

_I want to suffocate the sandman._

No result.

_I'm killing the sandman tomorrow._

THIS IS RIDICULOUS! IT'S THREE IN THE F*CKING NEXT MORNING AND I HAVE NO SLEEP! I huff and stand, walking for the balcony with the bag slumped over my shoulders until I feel a small tug on the back of the red T-shirt I'm sleeping in. I turn to Ran. "Don't go," she whispers. "Amu's really worried about you!"

I shake my head. "Look, I can't sleep and I'm a MISSING PERSON, Ran. I have to keep moving." I turn to walk, my head facing back ever so slightly. "Tell Amu I appreciate the help."

I open the balcony windows and slip out, but three more tiny pairs of hands grab my shirt. I turn to Yoru, Miki, and Su. "Don't go!" Su pleas silently.

"How will you take care of yourself?" Miki panics.

"Look, it's going to rain soon!" Yoru points out. "You'd freeze!"

I sigh and pluck them off. "Look, can't you trust my judgment? I have my dignity."

Miki shakes her head. "And this is the heroine of this story?"

"Hey," Nana pops her head out, her tone serious, "Maki just can't go to sleep. She thinks there's something wrong here."

I huff and step on the balcony rail, prepared to jump until a wave of guilt passes over me. _**Are you stupid? **__No, I'm prideful. Huge difference. __**Look, Ikuto saved you from those sewer rats for a reason. I'm not sure what, but he could've just left you. **__And? __**Look…trust him for now. That's all I'm saying. **__You really want to live? __**Yeah. **__Then we have to move. __**No. You have to ditch the paranoia. Trust me, I've had plenty of time to think it over and I've decided: either you stay or I'm forcing myself out. You're choice. **_I sigh and someone grabs the back of my shirt, pulling me into an embrace, so I blush. The arms holding me have the sleeves of Ikuto's shirt.

"You really want to leave?" he whispers. "Think about someone else for a second instead of being the selfish girl you are and you'll see you want to stay." His hands wrap tighter around my waist.

I blink at the ground. Nana comes up to my face, Quartz and Kip behind her. "Maki," she addresses softly, "please? Amu's nice and kind. You need people to look over you, that's a fact."

I shake my head, tears dropping from anger and stress. "I can look after myself!"

"Then why are you crying?" Miki wonders. "Heroine's don't usually cry."

"Isn't Heroine a drug?"

"NO!" Yoru shakes his head. "He means the female hero!"

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. I don't want to stay."

Ikuto tightens the embrace, his arms slipping higher over my abdomen. "You're the only one though."

I huff and refuse to look at anyone's face. "I can take care of myself."

Kip flies up, her glasses pushed against her face. "No you can't! You'll die out there! You saw how people can be!"

I wince as Ikuto whips off the bandage on my cheek. "Maki, look," he presents it to the side of my face, my gaze restraining itself from looking, "this proves you can't."

"Yeah!" Su whines. "If you go, people might-"

I now shove myself out of Ikuto's grasp, leaping onto the rail. "Just shut up," I mutter, my grit teeth preventing my screams.

Ikuto sighs and looks up at me with a brave face. "Fine. But if you go, you will never be allowed here again."

I gasp and blink, but then I quickly shake my head. "That's not your decision!"

"I have my ways, Kia," he growls. "Now if you still want to go, go."

I huff and think about it. I'm just on the run…why is he being so harsh? I look back and I hear a crack, freaking out and loosing my footing, the Guardian Characters gasping as I fall backwards. I clutch the rail or whatever, dangling there. I kick my feet, searching for a way to get up, but that's harder than it looks to be honest. I look down, and suddenly I black out.

"_**Daddy! Catch the ball!"**_

"_**Alright Jima."**_

_**Grandfather catches it. "Wow, wow, WOW!" Mom cheers. "You amazing!"**_

"_**Thank you, Jima," he laughs. "Now you try."**_

_**She reaches for the flying ball and catches it successfully. She smiles and her dad is called in, so she is left outside. The gate to outside is wide open. She doesn't leave though. She loves her daddy too much.**_

I shake my head. _Would you shut up now? __**No. I'm telling you I will force myself out. **__Oh, so I can't MOVE FOR A LITTLE WHILE? IT DOESN'T MEAN I'M NEVER RETURNING! YOU HAVE TO CHANGE LOCATION YOU KNOW! __**Maki…**__JUST SHUT UP! FORCE YOURSELF OUT FOR ALL I CARE! I DON'T NEED YOU! _

Her reply:

**.**

**.**

**.**

I feel Ikuto gripping my wrist, the Guardian Characters trying their best to help. I squint at the pavement below me to see a sewer plate. Perfect. I glare up and wretch the wrist out of the long fingers, the Guardian Characters frankly too weak to carry me without a human of some sort. I fall and I twist until I'm falling foot first, kicking down on one side of the plate and it reclosing with my sewer entry. I land hard on the concrete next to Sludge River of Stench and run forward, X-Negative probably too cautious of the results of forcing itself out of my body. I hear the echoes of another person entering much like I did and chasing me, their feet pounding on the concrete as well. I force myself to become faster, the X-Negative producing as much as they can to keep my heart from exploding. Sweat stings in my eyes and tastes salty in my mouth, just like tears. Suddenly, I ram into something black and look up to scream. It's Ikuto in his character change. He grabs my arms and I struggle, shoving and kicking, but he's really persistent. The Guardian Characters come up from behind, trying to talk me into calming down. I refuse.

I eye my bag and force a hand in, grabbing something sharp that pricks my skin and yank it out, slicing Ikuto across the chest. He screams and steps back as I stare at the letter opener, now coated in thick, dark crimson liquid. I blink and the Guardian Characters stare at me with sorrow and sympathy. I blink and snap my gaze to the sludge, then the concrete next to it, and then back to the sludge. I take a deep breath and run forward, taking the leap and my foot slamming hard into the edge. I fall backwards into the sewage and I'm forced under, my arms and legs flailing. I surface and take a deep breath, the stench horrible beyond imagining. Ikuto chases me as the current sweeps me away, but I do not want to be near him; not now, not ever. The Guardian Characters are screaming at me, pleading for me to come back. They don't like it when I say 'no'. Kip, Nana, and Quartzite try to keep up, but only Nana, Yoru, and Ran are fast enough, the rest fall behind. Ikuto is still chasing my trail, his character change faster than I would expect. I slam hard into the concrete with the back of my head and fall under all over again.

I hold all oxygen in and force my head up, the thick sludge wrapped around my foot pulling me under all over. Only my arms surface as I try to grab the concrete again, my face reducing to nothing but blue and purple with slime. Someone grabs my wrist, but I jerk it back. I can handle this myself. I try to at least surface my head, but it's harder than you think. I hear something churn and force myself up. There's some churning, chopping thing ahead. I gulp and try to swim against the current, but with watching all the anime I do, that never works. I reach for the concrete; it doesn't work. My eyes are bloodshot and stinging with tears of anger and sludge. My hands are numb from all the cold. My lungs are burning. I finally seize the section, but my nimble fingers just slide across, the cracks and little pebbles slicing the tips up without my fingers actually feeling it. My throat is also burning, and I finally grip the edge with both nimble hands and yank my waist up, my legs still caught in the current. I heave and huff, pant and puff, roll and rejoice, then curse and cuss when Ikuto's face pops up above me.

"You still want to go?" he asks.

"Please stay!" Ran and Miki pled.

"Yes please!" Su begs.

"You're going to die!" Yoru squeaks.

"You can't live alone!" Nana and Kip scold me.

"Please!" Quartz cries.

"They're right, you can't just run off! You'd die!"

I gasp and throw my head back to see an upside down Amu, more like upside down sewer. "Amu…?" I blink.

Ikuto kneels behind my head, lifting it up so it only sees his expression, and the cat ears. "Make a choice, Kia."

I glance at the chop-chopping thing at the end and grab the letter opener, in my sludge soiled bag. I slice my platform open to see if this is real.

It is.

Oh what else is new? I sigh and shut my eyes, the warmth of Ikuto's fingers pressing lightly against my cheeks soothing in a way. My head is now being set in his lap and Amu is rubbing my left forearm up and down in hopeful hopes of trying to warm me up. I open my eyes weakly and look up at his face. It's slightly sad, the eyes drenched in the emotion, some of it's gratitude, some hope, and a small portion of anger. The Guardian Characters all swarm around, saying things like scolds in such a rush I can't get half of it, but X-Negative puts these words together.

"-You-"

"-don't-"

"-want-"

"-to-"

"-be-"

"-alone!"

I feel my eyelids grow heavy and clutch the ground. "I…" I fall limp with one last word. "Fine."

**You know, I wonder if I'm EVER going to kill Ikuto…**


	21. Third Date

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 21_

**Third Date**

I yawn, freshly washed and TIRED. I rest my head on the freshly washed bag, the Manga eventually to be replaced, everything else pretty much repairable with heat, water, or other. I sigh. Well, at least my skull necklace is on. I don't know why I treasure it so much, but it's pretty. I stretch and nuzzle the back of my head into the bag…Ah…

_BRING!_

"NYAHAYAH!" I scream, rolling my head off the bag and nose first into the floor. Jeez…I didn't get ANY sleep. I rub the bags under my eyes and Yoru flies up, smiling. "YAY! You're staying!"

Everyone else of course has to join in celebration. "Yippee!" Ran cheers.

"Yes!" Miki and Kip half-five.

"I'm so happy!" Su flies in circles around my head.

Quartz hugs my thumb. "I'm glad you're okay."

I smile softly. "Guys…I just wanted to move around for a bit."

They all look up at me, blank and confused. "What?" Miki squeaks.

I shrug. "I mean, I'm on the run here, so I have to keep moving. I was going to come back after a little while…"

They all blink in confusion. **"You know," **a deep feminine voice uses my mouth, **"Maki had good intensions."**

"X-Negative…" Kip gaps.

"Hey!" I scold, looking down at the abdomen. "Cut that out, will you?"

Everyone laughs. _**Sure, whatever.**__ Thank you._ The door opens to Amu, carrying books. "Hey," she greets with a small smile. "Some friends are coming over, so do you think you can not…you know?"

I nod and Ikuto comes in. "Yo," he smirks.

I sigh and plop back on the bag. "Go F*CK yourself."

The Guardian Characters stare at my sudden change of mood. Amu huffs. "Maki…"

The doorbell rings and she rushes out, dashing down the stairs. Ikuto is just standing there with the smirk directed at me. "What?" I look over.

The Guardian Characters clear out, well, after Quartz says 'we'll leave you two alone'. Ikuto shuts the door and walks over to me, kneeling in front of me. He's in the usual black uniform. He sighs and cups my left cheek. "You hid them again."

I blink and look to my right to see in the mirror my eyes are indeed hidden. I huff and take the contacts off, chucking them into the bag. "Better?"

He nods. "So they are natural."

I gap. "It took you twenty chapters to figure that out?"

He chuckles. "You've been dividing this little move into chapters?"

I shrug. "Chapter twenty-one started a little before the devil clock rung." A phone in my bag rings and I blink, so I reach in and stand, walking out onto the balcony and leaving Ikuto to stare at something, most likely with his personality, my ear. "Hello?"

"OH MY BABY'S ALRIGHT!"

I scream and drop the phone. "JIMINY-CRICKET MOM, WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU SCREAMING FOR! Ugh…KIP!"

Ikuto is laughing his as* off. I huff and take out the Jalapeño juice.

_I want to be…a friend._

**Hey folks, it's X-Negative! This is five minutes from when that evil kid took out the juice.**

**Okay, so 'Mom's' guardian character, Kip, came through the door and Ikuto was screaming like crazy, covering his balls since the juice went all over that about four minutes ago. **

Hey, this is MY story!

**Well sorry, but it's not like you would've wrote it! Someone had to.**

No, they didn't. Do you know how many Ikuto fans are going to be after my neck now?

**None, since Ikuto isn't that great.**

…u-u-uh…oh just shut up!

**Says the girl who's blushing and like the fact you keep SOAKING THAT area…**

_I want to be…a friend._

Thank you for enduring that torture. **You know I'm you right? **Oh what are you a sub-author now? **Linkinparkfan9799 told me if I did, it'd probably get some reviews. **Jeez…can we get on with this? **Yes please! **Okay, THANK YOU.

Anyways, so X-Negative has told you about once again hurting Ikuto by making that sting with Jalapeño junk. So, as a result, Kip saw that, and now we're both on the phone with Mom, Kip explaining why she heard Ikuto screaming like he had his eyes gorged out and someone was using a rusty saw to sever the arms and legs. "I see…" Mom sighs.

"Look, Mom," I put my face in one hand, the phone shaking with my hand. "I'm sorry. It's just…why couldn't you trust me with ONE concert? You know I love music and you definitely knew a friend was with me! I always carry my phone, it's always charged…"

"Maki, there are a lot of things that could happen. Kidnapping, raping, murder, all that. I don't want to loose my baby."

"Mom, what did I say about me being twelve, not five?"

"Right, sorry honey." I sigh. Is she ever going to get it? "So where are you?"

"Amu's house," I admit. "Ikuto saved me from these rats and brought me here s-"

"Wait rats?"

Of course Mom picks out important parts and chucks the rest. "Uh…I was _running away_. You put up a _Missing Person Ad_. Do you NOT think that I wouldn't have gone into sewer territory?"

I just know the answer to that. "You do know that's dangerous, right?"

I laugh nervously and wipe the sweat off the back of my neck. "Jeez, how did I know you were going to say that?"

She giggles. "Well, Kip, if you're still there…"

"Be right there," Kip smiles.

"Mom, can I stay here for a bit?" I ask. "I mean…I think I should at least give Dad some time to clear out his head."

I know she's smiling at home, carrying this phone, being grateful I didn't call him Step-Dad. "Of course honey, just make sure you don't hurt yourself!"

"Yes, Mommy."

I hang up, putting my head in my hands, the metal of the phone hot against my eye lid. Kip sighs and flies off, waving me off. I guess she's going to go back to being Mom's egg. Nana and Quartzite re-enter, and fly over to the right side of my face. I know because there is a soft whishing sound when they fly. "Maki-san?" Nana asks.

"Yeah…?"

"What's wrong?"

I clutch the skin on my face. "I've always thought…that Mom was happy…but really…" I shake with a single sob. "Jeez…I ran away for nothing…"

I feel Ikuto's warm fingers rub my back. "You have the X-Negative, so it's not surprising you reacted the way you did."

Quartz nods. "Don't worry, we're here to help!"

Nana agrees, "We're your dreams, your hopes, so don't be sad, you still have your mom and us!"

I blink into my palms and the back of the phone, looking up to the sky. "Hey! Maki-cha!"

I gasp and rush to the rail (I DON'T KNOW). "Kio?"

"Yo!" he greets. "How are you?"

I smile, Ikuto silent behind me. "Good! Hey, are you alone?" He nods. "Can I join you?"

"Sure!" he laughs.

I jump down and we walk, Ikuto's eyes boring into the back of my skull with somewhat…sadness.

_I want to be…a friend._

"Hey, what do you think of this Maki-cha?" Kio wonders, holding a blouse up to my small figure.

I'm not particularly connected to Earth right now. _"That's it! We're bringing her here!"_

"_NO! I just need one more day!"_

"_You sure?"_

"_Positive! I can get her to come, I promise."_

"_Okay Ikuto, make sure she's here…alive."_

"Hey, are you alright?" Kio wonders. I tap my right temple and sigh, nodding and looking around the market. There are so many things here. "You know," Kio shoves his hands into his pockets. "You're actually pretty cute."

I widen my eyes and jump back, blushing like mad and flailing my arms. "WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! What brought _this _on? Bet, dare, what, name it?"

He laughs. "None of the above, Ma," he smiles. "I'm just happy we can go on this date."

My jaw drops to the sewers below our feet. "D-D-D-D-D…"

"D-a-t-e," he spells out, "date. You know when a couple goes out somewhere together?"

I nod, blushing. He thinks this is a date? Well, if that's the case, this is my third date. "Hey, Kio…"

"Yeah?" he swings his left foot back and forth, leaning against a wall with his hands behind his back.

"What do you see in me?"

He freezes and laughs nervously. "Wow…what brought that on?"

"Hey," I point an accusing finger. "That's my line."

He laughs, making me feel confident. "Well, you're a nice, misunderstood person," he shrugs. "Plus, you know English, and I hardly know anyone who does. It's pretty cool if you ask me."

I shrug. "Well…it's just to understand American songs…"

"Really?" he chuckles.

I nod. "I love music, so…"

He nods. "Wait right here!"

He runs off and I sit down against a wall. I hear footsteps and look next to me to see Ikuto, the violin case on his shoulder. "Yo."

"What are you doing here?" I grunt.

He sighs and sits down, all happiness erased. Why though? "Do you like this kid?" I nod, honestly confused to high Heaven. "Okay. That's all I needed to know."

He stands and starts to walk off. "Wait!" He turns after hearing my call. "Can we go to that park tomorrow? You know, the one with the fountain where we ate ice cream together?"

He chuckles, shoving his hands into his pockets as usual. "Well, well, wouldn't that upset your little prince?"

He walks off, not giving me an answer. "Ma!"

I turn to see Kio, skidding to a stop in front of me and handing me that angel. I smile and he attaches it to my necklace. "Wow, that's actually a good combination," I admit, impressed.

He shrugs like it's nothing. "Well, you're a cute girl, Ma. You deserve to be shown."

I smile and frown instantly. X-Negative…was that bad feeling about Ikuto…is he possessive?

**COULD REALLY USE REVIEWS! I'M THANKFUL TO THE TWO PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED SO FAR (total of four reviews), SO THANKS AND I'M GOING TO KEEP UP, BUT PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU PEOPLE THINK! I DON'T KNOW WHO'S READING THIS UNLESS YOU REVIEW OR I CLICK ON YOUR PROFILE AND IT'S THERE!**


	22. Betrayal

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 22_

**Betrayal**

"Well Amu, I'm off!" I smile, waving good-bye.

"See you later!" Amu laughs as I run off.

I've been energetic and happy ever since yesterday's date, so I'm trying to kill it by using it all. I mean seriously I have a rep to keep people! Nana is racing me again to my house, even though I think she's cheating with her flying, and we burst through our door a little later, cart-wheeling in which eventually turns into my loosing my hand-eye coordination and plain out rolling into the staircase. My eyes roll in nausea, Quartz flying out of the tiny house attached to my hip once again and the two Guardian Characters push against my shoulder blades. I grip the end of the right rail and force myself back onto my shaking feet, slowly taking my time to get upstairs and enter my room, where, once again, Ikuto is. I freeze and huff, sweat dripping from all my hyper-activity.

"There's no end to your stalking, huh?" I mumble.

"Actually," he sighs, "this is the last day I _have _to do it."

I freeze. That nightmare… "Really now?"

He nods. "I was hoping you'd come with me somewhere you know," he smirks and leans forward, "on a date."

I freeze, widening my eyes and gaping, my arms back in their usual cue of flailing. "N-Not a date!" I scream. "I-I-I-I have n-n-never been on a-a-any d-d-d-date with YOU!"

He laughs and ruffles my hair. "Come on, it's not like you have school or anything."

I freeze and sigh. That's when he starts nibbling my right ear. "OI! What the F*CK!"

He sticks his left hand into my right pocket and uses his right and to tangle strands of my hair between his fingers, pulling my head close enough for him to lick the area behind the right ear. His breath tickles my ear when he stops momentarily. "Come on, like I said…"

I raise a brow and think long and hard. Why does it seem that this will be the last time he's doing this? "OH FINE! JUST GET OFF OF ME!"

He pries off and stands straight, hands in pockets. "So where do you want to go?"

I think long (five seconds) and hard (first thing that comes to mind). "What about the place I asked you to meet me yesterday?"

He smiles and nods. "Fine by me."

_I want to be…a friend._

I'm on the same bench as last time, palms flat against the wood and my legs kicking in and out, the water splashing onto the bare skin from the very bottom of the shoulder blades to the top. The shirt rises from behind to front, the strings attached to the front of the neckline tied around my neck so the top doesn't fall off and show the strapless bra. It is navy colored, sort of contrasting from the short white skirt. The black Mary Jane's are a bit smaller now, since I've had them for a while. Ikuto comes up with the ice cream we agreed on earlier, before you showed up again (you skipped a whole lot of ear nibbling and putting-hands-in-pockets-that-aren't-yours, LUCKY) and sits next to me, handing me the cookie dough and licking the chocolate. I stare at the ice cream and nibble at the freezing delight, catching Ikuto's attention.

"Hey," he smirks, "what's wrong with you?"

I sigh and look at him with sad blue eyes. "Ikuto…how does it feel to be betrayed?"

He froze, gaping slightly, but then slowly turned to the ground. "Why do you ask…?"

I shift a little. "I've been having nightmares…they're all about a friend betraying me somehow. It makes me feel…odd."

"Does it make you feel empty, lifeless?" I nod. "Yeah, that's betrayal."

We eat the rest of the ice cream and Ikuto stands, looking depressed. I tug on his sleeve, but he jerks it away. "Hey…" I blink, feeling a bit sympathetic. "What's wrong?"

He stares at the ground, the midnight hair cloaking the navy eyes. "What do you see in that stupid Maya kid?"

I blink and raise a brow. "Kio? He's cute, it's just a little crush is all…why?"

I see something fall to the ground and he runs off. I stare in shock and stand, running after him. I hear several people whisper and eventually see those two girls. "Hey…what happened with Ikuto?"

I huff and pant. What happened? "Ikuto! Ikuto listen to me!"

He won't stop…he won't listen.

_I want to know what's happening._

I pant in front of that large building. I see there's a sign saying 'EASTER', so I raise a brow. Why would Ikuto go into a company building? I run up and freeze when I see guards. I gulp and ice jets out of the abdomen, sticking them there. I stare at it until an ice fist punches my nose. **DON'T JUST STAND THERE! **I nod to myself and run through, using everything I have to navigate to that room. Good thing I remember the floor number. There's an elevator, small and untrusting, but it gets me there, and I run to the end of a hall, voices scaring me against the left side, panting and my back straight against it. "Ikuto, stop crying and get her here!"

"I'm not crying!" I hear Ikuto argue.

I gasp slightly. W…What? "Look, we need that data from Maki Kia's X-Negative, so in the next hour, you _will _get it, or else."

Betrayal…that B*STARD. I hear Ikuto slam his hands on the desk I saw the day of that sewer incident. "I AM NOT DOING IT! YOU CAN GO GET HER FOR ALL I CARE!"

I can tell that means something bad. Something flies up next to my head and I turn to Nana and Quartz, the top of the bag I almost always keep by my side now open. "What are we going to do?" Quartz panics, circling my head.

"Calm down!" Nana commands. "We need to find a way to find out if it's-"

"It's him," I mouth. I grab the handle, Nana and Quartz panicking to high Heaven. I shove it open, the man and Ikuto both turning to me. Ikuto gasps and takes a step back. I just glare. "So Ikuto, this is why you had to watch me huh?"

"M-Maki…" he stutters.

I growl and turn to the man. "I don't know what you want from me, but I'm never giving you anything."

"Actually…" the man smiles.

I hear rapid footsteps and turn around to a hallway full of suited men. I gulp and look back at Ikuto and the man. "You two are B*STARDS," I snarl. "You know Ikuto," my voice starts to break, "I'm glad…now I don't have to see you anymore."

He widens his shaking, tearing eyes and I shut my eyes, the suited men coming closer. _Now. __**GOT IT! **_Ice whooshes from the abdomen, turning the hall into a snowy wasteland and the office I stand in divided in two parts, one with me, the other with the B*STARD family. I feel a sob yank out and dash out for the window, Nana and Quartz flying into the bag. "Maki, Character Transformation!" Nana squeaks.

"Yes! My heart: Unlock! Character Transformation: Rose Negative!"

The pendant appears and the clothes shift. I use the X-Negative to freeze a track of sorts and ice skates appear, so I land on the ice and start speeding forward, following the soon melting ice tracks all the way to my house, where I crash in through my room window. The transformation undo's itself and I freeze the window shut, jamming the lock and re-packing all over again. I grab the skull necklace and just grip it, blood dripping out of my palm and onto the chocolate carpet. I can't believe it…he actually went and did the thing I saw…my mind saw it all…Ikuto…that B*STARD betrayed me. I fall onto the sheets, sobbing my heart out. I…I TRUSTED HIM!

***SNIFFLE*-please send some *SNIFFLE*-reviews so I can continue with some *SNIFFLE*-pride...WAHAAAAA!**


	23. Had Enough

_**Note: I TYPE FAST.**_

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 23_

**Had Enough**

The clock on the nightstand ticks, the window is beginning to thaw out (finally), and I'm just sitting on the end of the bed, staring with lifeless eyes at the carpet. Nana and Quartz hover around my head, staring at me with worry. I still can't believe it…I trusted that jerk…I feel frost line my skin, Nana and Quartz shrieking and dodging into the house upon the bed next to me. Something rattles and I look up to see Ikuto, his cat ears and cat tail visible. "Maki…" he gasps once he spots the lifeless pools of fake brown. "…Please listen to me…"

I slowly stand up, my balled up fists digging claws into the middle of my palm. "Why should I listen to a B*STARD like you?"

He gasps and takes a step back, staring at me with wide, moist eyes. He pulls a straight face after a bit. "Look, they're coming _now_. You have to get out, Maki."

"Where will I go huh?" I snap. "I'm sorry, but I'm NOT trusting you anymore! I've had it!"

"Ma-"

"SHUT UP!" I toss the clock at him, the outlet covering having been ripped out at the same time as I torn the plug out. "JUST SHUT UP YOU STUPID! I HATE YOU!" He takes a step back. "I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU! I DON'T WANT TO EVER SEE YOU AGAIN YOU STUPID SON OF A B*TCH! YOU SOLD ME OUT BECAUSE OF WHO I AM! WHAT WAS ALL THAT FOR? THE EAR AND THE POCKET AND THE…YAH!" I toss a heavy box at him for storage, the fragments flying.

"STOP IT!" he roars.

"NO!" I scream. "YOU WANT DATA? YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FORCE IT YOU AS* HOLE! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! I WISH I NEVER MET YOU!"

"Maki-san…" Nana whimpers.

"GET OUT!" I scream, tears crashing. "GET OUT YOU MOTHER F*CKING B*STARD OF HE**!"

"NO!" he roars. "I WANT TO HELP YOU!"

"SHUT UP! I DON'T LIKE YOU! I HATE YOU! You…You…" My eye twitches and with the other fist chuck the skull necklace at the wall next to his head, the pendant shattering and his eyes witnessing, widening suddenly. "I HATE YOU! JUST GET THE F*CK OUT AND GET OUT OF MY LIFE!"

His body trembles at the sight of his precious gift. He bites his lip and turns. "Fine. I'll get out and _stay _out of your miserable excuse of a life. You did kill your father after all." I gasp and he jumps out, disappearing from sight.

I scream and chuck a box at another wall. "THAT F*CKING C*NT! MOTHER F*CK! SH*TTY AS* HOLE! AS* HOLE! D*MN HYPOCRITE!"

Quartz is shielding Nana's ears, both staring at me like I'm a stranger. I hear the door downstairs burst open and I gasp. I look up to the ceiling and jump onto the bed, looking for a means of entry. I found a small outline and jumped to push it, but I ended up crashing into the floor. I hear feet rush up the stairs and I try again, my side pinching. Nana places the pendant on my necklace and I jump with success, a panel camouflaging with the ceiling sliding open, and I jump up, soaring into the attic (huh, I knew it'd come in handy), and shutting the panel, running to the far corner and rolling up into a little ball. I'm scared…the pendant disappears and I hear two clunks. I stare in horror at the floor ahead of me to see two 'X' Eggs. How? They can't be 'X' eggs. That's impossible. I grip the sides of my head and start rocking back and forth. This doesn't make any sense! What the F*CK is happening? I shake my head and shut my eyes, a loud boom making the attic wobble and my throat to let whimpers scratch out, leaving deep scars. I rub my sore throat and look around in panic. I want to be safe…

Another boom sounds, and another. One after the other, explosions below me rattle the entire attic, the creaks and groans of the boards just screeching 'cave-in'. Sweat causes the area around my small balled up figure to stuff up, my lungs closing up and my eyes widening at the sudden lack of oxygen. I can't breathe, and I take out the knife in the bag to slit my platform.

Again, it's real.

I cover my mouth to prevent screaming and I shake my head, praying all the bad things will go away, that all the demons and devils will disappear and bring angels and saviors, not all the dark, but the light. I feel like I'm tipping over a cliff and you say one thing, I fall off. My bones moan with pain as they feel like they're closing in, trying to form a bone cage with the skin and muscles and organs still in and on the skeleton. My body rattles and an explosion breaks through the panel, suited men crawling up and all of them staring at me in somewhat fright. The 'X' eggs, previously know as Nana and Quartzite, float up, crying something that sounds like 'why'. I scream and the attic boards collapse back into my room, the one with chocolate carpet that feels like dog hair on a Shitsu or something like that and the walls made from the sky, never cloudy at the least. I scream again and the abdomen shoots out a winter load of ice, coating the room to look like an over decorated Santa room. More enter and some black and purple cyclone appears above me, my screaming ringing in and out of it. Then a ring of the hatred and betrayal forms around me, shooting up and down to a somewhat barrier. My body flings to it's feet and soars up through the roof, above the beloved house and my body spinning around like crazy, my crying face scrunching up in pain as my ribs seem to close into my lungs.

"_**MOMMY!"**_

"_**Yes Jima?"**_

"_**I CAUGHT IT!"**_

"_**That's good dear."**_

_**She pouts. "Why don't you play with me like Daddy did?"**_

_**A woman gasps. "Because…I'm too busy."**_

_**The kid continued tossing a ball up into the air and down.**_

_**Jaid**_

"_**NO! YOU LOST IT? THAT WAS MY DAD'S YOU STUPID BRATS!"**_

_**They are siblings. "We're sorry…we'll get you a new one!"**_

_**She shook her head, the ball dropping. "YOU DON'T GET IT! THAT WAS MY DAD'S! MY DEAD DAD'S! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"**_

_**What are you doing?** Listening to the whole reason why we're in this mess. **I don't know…**Trust me, okay? _

_**She is sobbing, the ball clutched tightly in her hand. "I want Daddy back…"**_

_**She's hugging her knees, her face buried in the arms. Her mother is watching from a distance, since the teacher is discussing good therapists to take her to.**_

_**Jaid**_

_**Jaid was an old dog that belonged to Grandpa. He died shortly after and she tried to commit suicide.**_

_**Jaid**_

"_**But Jima…"**_

"_**SHUT UP KIP!"**_

"_**But-" the egg was closing.**_

"_**GET OUT OF MY LIFE!"**_

_**Jaid**_

"_**What should we call her?"**_

"_**Maki."**_

"_**Isn't that…"**_

"_**The name of my dad's violin."**_

_**Jaid**_

"_**LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BRATS! I WISH YOU'D JUST GET SLAUGHTERED!"**_

"_**HEY!"**_

_**Jaid**_

I shake my head and I'm in some area, pink everywhere. I see the ice cube next to me, so I jump back and look down at my abdomen to see it has a huge gaping hole. I look up to a honking huge 'X' egg, young Jima's face appearing. _**"DADDY!"**_

"Hey!" I call. She turns with war in her eyes. "Look, I lost my dad to…stop crying. He's watching over you."

"_**LIAR!"**_

Well someone switched religions without telling me! I huffed and the ice cube shoved me out of the way of an attack. I screamed as I knock into some invisible wall that sends electric bolts into my lungs, burning everything. My head is pounding, sweat is suffocating. I shake my head and glare, charging. "HE LOVES YOU! JUST LET IT GO! REMEMBER HIM!"

"_**D-DADDY!"**_

"Hey! EVERYONE DIES! IT'S WHETHER YOU CAN LET THEM LIVE IN PEACE!"

"You lost a dad?" I hear a far away voice ask. Amu. "Look, I know it's sad, but taking your anger out on people like this isn't helping!"

She freezes and I step forward. "Amu's right. Taking your anger out on people is not going to bring him back. Let him go, Jima…Mom."

Her eyes widen and she turns to me, and then an invisible force knocks me out. I shake my head to see I'm back in the circle, my hair wiping around and fading into black, but I don't want it to. At that decision, it starts to fade to hazel again. I look down to multiple stone statues, all representing me. One with the will Dad wrote when he thought he was going to die from smoking. One is me with the bandages over the right shoulder scar, now bleeding like F*CKING HE**. One…they're bad memories, or what could've happened. I feel tears stream and shut my eyes, the damp cheeks worsening. The two 'X' eggs are circling the inner sector at my head level, maybe ten yards from the ground?

"HEY!" I gasp and open my eyes at Ikuto's voice. "I'M SORRY! HE'S MY STEP-FATHER! I HAVE TO DO WHAT HE SAYS!"

…what is it? **He's telling the truth. **I shut my eyes and I swim in the darkness. Why didn't he just…oh yeah, I didn't give him a _chance _to say so. I'm the as* hole…I spread my arms out and the spinning increases to lightening speed, lights protruding from the 'X' eggs. I WILL make things right again. I can, I will, I must, and I want to! I won't give up! The eggs purify and hatch, Nana and Quartz rushing to my head for orders. _Run, _I tell my heart. _I'm going to do the most suicidal thing of all._ They understand, coming from my heart and all, and dash down to Amu and Ikuto and who knows who else. I smile and the spinning increases. _Ready? __**Really? HE** YEAH! LET'S GO TRY IT! **_My head pounds and my skin starts to crack like a rock. Next thing you know, there's heat everywhere, the night sky is illuminated, blood spills everywhere, and I open my eyes, the eyes where the contacts burn into thin air. My whole body explodes.

**A.N:**

**REVIEW!**


	24. XPositive and XNegative

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 24_

**X-Positive and X-Negative**

How you know you're mentally troubled:

1) You see dead people

2) You hear those voices (at least they said that)

And

3) You wake up in the middle of smoking trees with some chick next to you

I rub my eyes and sit up, staring at the girl no so far away. I'm confused; where did she come from? Where am I? I know I'm Maki Kia, I'm too prideful to forget _that_. I know I'm twelve, I know I have…oh right, the X-Negative _exploded _on me. Wait…shouldn't I be dead? I pinch my arm and BOOM!

I know this is real.

I curse and pat my back, actually giving myself even _less _confidence than needed. I scratch my neck down to the center of the collarbones to turn to the girl, wide awake and in the exact same position as yours truly. At least I know she's a copy kitty (screw those who comment about the phrase).She has long black hair put up in two curly pigtails, brown eyes wide and bored. She has a black shirt with three white buttons at the top and mid-sleeves, tucked neatly into dark jeans and black boots with AK-47 silver buckles. There's a grey tattoo on the left side of her face resembling a detailed snake, which isn't actually to my astonishment. I poked her once with my left pointing finger to conclude her jaws nearly chomping through the bone, if I wasn't so incredibly fast.

"WHAT THE HE**?" I exclaim.

She crosses her arms and simply huffs, "Stupid."

By the light stern voice of this B*TCH and the frost lining her skin (being the smart one here), I can obviously tell this is X-Negative, meaning… "HOLY SH*T WE'RE TWINS!" I jump back.

Man does my life flip like a pancake when it wants to. She smirks and gives a small salute, her arms still crossed, but the two fingers simply just moving up to her forehead. "Call me X."

I raise a brow, freezing with giant sweat drops bringing forth even more confusion. "…Why not Xia or something that's actually a _name_?"

She rolls her eyes, the smirk never fading (I'm starting to think she's adopted and actually Ikuto's sister). "Whatever Sis."

I stand and start walking off, huffing and crossing my arms. "Don't call me that."

"Sis, Sis, Sis, Sis," she teases.

Okay, when did the author of life decide to make my life He**? I pause for a bit to check the surrounding area, still just slightly smoking trees. Where are we? I kneel to the ground and pick up some soil to sift it through my fingers, facing ground not fare away with an expression even farther away. I should be dead…and the fact I can feel this rough exterior proves just that I'm as alive as the stupid cat when we were hanging out (NOT A DATE). The abdomen starts to itch and I swear something bits it, so I lift up my shirt to a safe height (this isn't a stripping club, gosh) to see the abdomen level is completely covered with a thick layer of ice, even wrapping around to the back. I can see veins in the ice, which I swear you are lucky you can't actually see it, and 'Xia' (I'm NOT calling her by some letter) copies (told you), the same thick layer of ice right there.

Okay…huh?

I throw the shirt back into the position and stomp off, scratching the itchy and sweaty back of 'De Neck'. When can my brain unfreeze (I have one for your information) so I can think? When can the mysteries of the universe beyond be revealed? When can I stop sounding like a narrator for some cartoon? I stretch and look up to the brilliant green leaves of an oak. Xia comes up, arms still crossed, but smiling as if she were with a friend, which makes me take a step away. "Hey, do you know what 'Maki' means?" I shake my head. It's a name, what other definition is there? "It means 'Scouring Princess'. You know, _MA _meaning 'enhancement bu wearing away' A.K.A-scouring, and _KI _meaning princess?"

"Well, what's your name, for real I mean?"

She smiles and faces me (next thing you know I'm about a yard away from her). "Kaki, meaning 'good-looking princess'."

"Yeah right!" I laugh.

She shrugs. "It's true. Ka means 'good-looking' and 'KI' means 'princess', like said." She looks up. "I really want to be a leader some day…but that's probably so far…since I'm from you."

I shrug. "It's not like I asked to give birth to a Goth."

Her jaw drops. "I'm not Goth!"

I chuckle. "Whatever you say."

She rolls her eyes. "Okay, if you're so perfect, answer me this; where are we?"

I smile. "In the middle of nowhere. Does that answer your question?"

She shakes her head. "Look, why don't we try to find a way back home?"

I shake my head. "Didn't you pay attention at all before?" I sigh. "Easter is after me."

"Us," she corrects with one finger raised. "We both have precisely half of the X-Negative."

I cock my head. "I thought you were the X-Negative." She shakes her hands side to side. "Oh come on!" I kick a tree stump. "When can people ever be straight in these things?"

She sighs. "Honestly, I don't know. All I know is what I read in the Manga you read. For example, Vampire Knight has the names at the back."

I blink. "You do know there are, like, a _ton _of definitions for 'KI' in there, right?"

She shrugs. "It's a lucky guess. Anyways, so don't sounds and smells indicate where you are?"

"You got that from Google," I snap, seeing that's the ONLY place I've seen that, "and yeah, but we're pretty much-"

The screech of tires makes me freeze with a dumb smile, a twitching eye, and one finger in the air, the other behind me by a way. Kaki and I exchange glances and once doors slam, we run. We slam our shoulders into trees here and there, but it's not like I'm focused on that. This is bad. If Easter is here, that means we're dead, D-A-G-Y-S, dead. Kaki manages to keep ahead somehow, but I freeze once I hear a small squeak. "MAKI-CHA!" Okay, maybe not so small. "MAKI-SAN!"

"Nana! Quartz!" I run back.

"MAKI!" Kaki cries, groaning and turning to trail me.

Someone slams into me and restrains my arms. I struggle and kick, thrashing my body in any direction to get me out of this. Three people come up, one female with over-extruded lips and glasses, brown curly hair with a tiny ponytail at the back, one thin male with orange-like hair, and one ugly fat dude with black spiky hair and stubble. I scream and I see Kaki kick the guy firmly at the back of the head, the buckles doing their part seeing it was a round-house. I run behind her and I see the orange-haired man has my eggs, both with tape in 'X's. I gulp. "What do you want?" I demand.

He smirks. "We simply want you to come with us," he smiles.

"Why?" Kaki crosses her arms.

"To keep your eggs safe."

I gap. "Okay, is it just me, or did that sound _EXTREMELY _wrong?"

Kaki chuckles. "Okay, so what happens if we don't? If you crush her eggs, she's mindless and I can tag her off to California, U.S.A, dim-rod."

He blinks. The woman steps up. "Bring out Tsukiyomi."

I gulp and next thing I know, two guards are dragging a limp body with the black uniform of Ikuto's, although the moonlight hair is hiding the face. I raise a brow. Where's Yoru? "What did you do to him?" I mutter.

"Now," Fatty laughs, "come with us or Tsukiyomi here gets even worse."

A guard lifts up his head to result in Kaki's and my shared cringe. His face is purple, blue, yellow, and red all at once. His eyes are shut and his nose is set at that angle, the jaw slightly dented here and there. Kaki huffs and taps her tattoo. "Hiru, character transform."

A black egg comes out of her chest with the 'X', but when it hatches, it looks like a normal Character. I raise a brow and 'Hiru' faces me. "OI! I'm Hiru! I'm her dream to be able to fight dirty!"

I gap with a disgusted/confused look on my face aimed at Kaki. She shrugs, "Eh, I had to wish for two things."

The snake turns black and a purple light glistens. I nod and huff, staring at the sky. "God give us strength."

"Our hearts: unlock."

Suddenly, a purple tornado or SOMETHING surrounds us, much like that time I exploded (thank you VERY MUCH for that, life). Kaki shuts her eyes and her clothes shift to a black tank top with a white 'X', the jeans replaced with a white ruffle skirt and the boots shortening to the mid-shin, not the knee, black and white striped socks rising to her knees and straps going under the skirt, a tiny black top hat with a white ribbon (black dots, what else) slightly angling itself next to her left pigtail, and her eyes open to pure black, nothing else. Claws lengthen and she twists to grab two of those mini-scythes.

I'm different. I look down to see the shirt dissolve into nothing but a white sleeveless top with ruffle layers and a black straight skirt like older women wear to work. My hazel hair with a few black streaks purifies and straightens down my back, no high socks, just pantyhose with white Mary-Jane shoes wrapping themselves around my feet, the chain producing a white marble heart, the lavender rose, and the teal quarter note, the eggs exploding in the guy's hands and revealing the two devils themselves (how I missed them). They fly into me (you know what I mean) and I flash my eyes, seeing two long white katana swords appear in my hands. The handles are white-leather bound, the grip unimaginable. I smile.

"Character transformation: X-Negative!" Kaki cheers.

That explains it. I couldn't control myself because _it wasn't my transformation_. "Character transformation: X-Positive!" I wink.

The tornado disappears and we charge, a truck releasing a butt load of 'X' eggs. "Go take care of the eggs!" Kaki calls. "I'll fend these B*TCHES off!"

I charge and slash both katana swords into an 'X' form, causing one egg to shriek and whiten. I raise a brow. Okay, I can purify these…is that supposed to happen? I shake the thought out when one shoots some purple depressing stuff at me and forces me to jump into a tree, dodging a few attacks custom made to fit their broken dreams and pop out randomly, slashing one in half and breaking it. I curse. _Note to self, don't actually slash. Just slash at nothing and act crazy._

I nod to myself and keep a fair distance. I hear some door slam and snap my gaze to a truck, looking back to see no Ikuto. I curse and chase after the truck as it speeds off. _Be careful! _Quartz squeaks inside of me. _You don't know what they might have!_

_They're probably luring you! _Nana warns.

_I don't care! I don't want Ikuto to get hurt! _I cry inside. Quartz whistles. _OH SHUT UP! _

I kick off the ground and start flying forward at lightening speed, purple sparks trailing to symbolize Nana's doing. I place my arms straight at my sides and keep a firm face, the truck rapidly growing. Sooner or later, I loose my eye-coordination and slam right into the back, my nose twisting at a painful angle and digging the left katana into the surface. I carve a hemi-circle deep within and punch it inwards, something searing in my hip soon after. Someone is shooting at me. I squeak and jump onto the roof, carving another hemi-circle to kick that in. It's a little gray area and I can see the toe tips of black shoes. It's Ikuto, I know it. I jump in and someone shoots from the front, making me duck and Ikuto to stare at me with practically lifeless eyes.

"What are you doing?" he mutters.

I huff and rush over, undoing the seatbelt. "Getting you out, that's what. Come on we have to-"

He shakes his head. "I'm not going."

I raise a brow. "Did they brainwash you or something? Why would you want to s-!"

Someone shoots me in the back, making me scream and stumble back, clutching for an area near the spine. Jeez, does saving people hurt this much? Ikuto widens his eyes and rushes up, going to my back and digging his nails in painfully to drag out the bullet. I scream worse and worse until I hear a little DINK on the ground. I bite my lip and kick the back wider, looking back at Ikuto.

"Thanks," I sigh. "If you want to stay, I guess this i-"

Lips crash down on mine. WHERE DOES THIS FIT, HUH? I blink in shock and he pries off, staring at me with a frown and wide eyes saying 'forgive us', which I have to admit the demonic voice Quartz is making to say those words making the effect dim. I sigh and run out, someone clutching to my ankle and I look down to Ikuto. Well, it's explainable since he doesn't have Yoru. I smile and speed forward, 'X' eggs nearing me. I slash the Katana swords in an 'X' and purifying one. Man this is going to take all day. I try to dodge the attacks, but with two that's a LOT to carry. Eventually I start to waver in my flight. "What's wrong?" Ikuto asks.

I huff. "Jump off."

"What?"

"Just trust me!"

He freezes, but nods sooner or later and jumps, rolling on the ground as I crash face-first into a tree. I scream in the gushing pain of my nose and one of the mini-scythes fly by, destroying at least three eggs. I gasp and turn to Kaki, dripping with sweat as well as I. "What?" she asks.

"Don't do that!" I scream.

"Those are people's dreams, remember that!"

I groan and turn to Amu. Well, out of exhaustion, I lean against the tree and let the sweat drip, clutching both swords as if my life depended on it. 'X' eggs charge, but I'm too tired to move. Amu is Amulet Spade of what I can see and rainbow paint washes over them, making them freeze and allow her to purify them, letting them return to their owners. I huff and fall onto my knees, Kaki and Amu both rushing me up. I shake my head and place both feet firmly on the ground. This isn't going to stop…unless I make a decision. I sigh and look up, deforming the transformation and running off.

_I want to be…a friend._

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Nana whimpers.

I nod. "Don't worry, we'll come back eventually."

Bags are packed, but I'm not running, I'm traveling. I asked Mom a little earlier, and she said as long as I contact her at least every two seconds, which I told her would waste all the minutes, so we eventually came to a compromise. Kaki enters the room, drenched in sweat still. "What the f-"

"Kaki," I laugh, "not now. I have to get to the airport soon."

She widens her eyes. "WHAT? YOU'RE LEAVING BY YOURSELF?"

I nod. "It's my decision." I walk up to her and pat her shoulder. "I bid you well." I run downstairs and give Mom one last hug.

"Be safe," she whispers.

I run out before I can change my mind.

**One more chapter of this story.**

**Hey, after this, do you think I should do a sequel? I've been thinking about it, and I have a few ideas.**

**Review and tell me if I should or not!**


	25. Tata For Now

**My Patch of Ice and Blood**

_Chapter 25_

**Tata for Now**

I hull the luggage up a small grass hill with one annoying cat stretched out on the ground. I sigh. Is this going to be harder than it should? Nana and Quartz are in the little house that beats against my hip as I move, probably staring out the window, wondering how the heck I came up with traveling. Well, they're after data from the X-Negative, and they don't know Kaki has it, so they only want me. I just want to allow them some peace. Ikuto? Well, after seeing him all banged up like that, I sort of feel sorry for reacting like that (crossed my fingers). I walks next to the body and lightly nudge his ribs. There are multiple bandages over his face and arms, a slight decrease in one part of his left thigh. He sighs when he sees the bag and stares at my face with sad glittering eyes.

"You're leaving," he states. I nod. "Fine."

He just lies back down. My face goes red with frustration and I grab Yoru off some branch. The next is sort of illegal.

_I want to be able to say goodbye._

Ikuto's gasping for air, picking out patches of Yoru's hair off his tongue as Yoru tries to get all traces of him being in Ikuto's mouth off. Ikuto turned to me, arms spread. "What the F*CK?"

I cross my arms. "Nothing, just trying to see what happens if you stuff someone's Guardian Character down their throat."

He huffs and leans back, his arms being used as supports. "Do you really want to leave?" I nod. "Then why are you crying?"

I gasp and feel my cheek to find it damp. I wipe it dry. "It's all-"

"Oh don't say that," Ikuto stands, leaning with a stern face, hands in _his _pockets for once. "It's too cliché. Look, you're crying, and I want to know why. Is that too much to ask?" I nod, making him huff. "Maki, listen…"

"No, you listen," I snap. "I made this decision, so of course I'm happy about it. So, bye Ikuto."

I try to walk away, but I can't feel anything. Not his hand on my elbow, not his lips tenderly nibbling my ears, not his hand squeezing the area of my thigh in my pockets, nothing. I turn to see him looking down, and I swear something drops from his face to the grass. I gulp. He looks up, making me take a step back. He's _crying_. "Why are you still here? Just go!"

He marches down the opposite direction, hands in pockets and often swiped out to wipe the tears away. I sigh. Why does saying goodbye always have to be so hard? Well…it's better than not saying it at all… I set a hand on my right shoulder and leave the bag there, running after him. I tackle his back and he stops, hands in his pockets. My hands are wrapped around his lower ribs, my right cheek in his spine. "Hey, stop crying. I won't leave until you stop crying." That doesn't help any. They just fall, untended to. They often drip on my right thumb, so I un-wrap the hands and walk in front of him, pushing his shoulders down so he kneels to the ground. Now he's at _my _shoulders. He blinks and I smile kindly. I hug him around the neck and I feel his face nuzzle into my left shoulder, his arms tight around me. "Ikuto, you're making this even harder than it is."

"Good," he mumbles into my skin.

I sigh and pat the back of his moonlight head. "Ikuto…"

He pushes off, holding only my right shoulder. "Are you going to the airport?" I nod. "I'll take you…just as a last few minutes with you…"He stands and turns. "Maki."

Wow. Too heart broken to be a pervert. I sigh and hug my ribs. I can't turn back…never again.

_I want to be…a friend._

I nibble on the tail of the taiyaki as I wait for the plain to arrive. Ikuto is next to me, also eating his chocolate taiyaki tail first. We're silent, the rest of the rude people in the airport SO not. I swear a headache worse than the present one is not far from arriving. I stare at the bag all the time, Nana and Quartz staring at both of us from a crack in the roof. I shift my butt in the seat and Yoru comes over to the house, so I take it off and set it next to me, allowing Yoru to have a last word or two to Nana and Quartz. Through the glass on the walls I can already see a white, long plane arriving in the road. I stuff the rest of the taiyaki in my mouth and swallow it whole, surprisingly not choking. I stand, but I feel Ikuto tugging on the back of the gray hood jacket. I turn to see he's staring up at me with those same, sad eyes.

"Just stay for a little bit," he pleads.

I sigh and he drags me into his lap, smirking. I blush. "YAHAYAH! PERVERT!"

He chuckles and faces me, his eyes still sad, but the rest of his face happy as can be. "I just wanted a last laugh."

"Oh no you don't Mr.!" I push him backwards on the chair, drawing two or three stares. "_I _get the last laugh, buster!"

He shrugs. "Why not?"

I feel Quartz tug on the pants, so I look to find her staring up at me with wide teal eyes. "Aren't we going to say goodbye to Amu-chi?"

I sigh and shake my head. "Too late for that. I only had so much time."

"_All passengers for Flight 51, please line up to the entry way now. We're loading now."_

I huff and grip the handle, turning to Ikuto. "Bye Ikuto."

I take one step and next thing you know, he's smothering me from behind. "Be safe."

I pat his head. "Okay, would it make you better if I told you the true phrase?" He raises a brow and let me go. I smile. "Tata for now, Ikuto."

He beams. "See you later…" he leans, smirking seductively, "Ma."

I freeze and blush. I hurry into the line and give the attendant my ticket, waving goodbye to Yoru and Ikuto, entering the grey tunnel. I rush into the plane and stuff the only luggage I have inside a white cabinet, sitting in an abandoned row of the plane. I open the slide and stare out into the sun. It's hard to say goodbye, but it's harder not to, don't you agree? We all can't say goodbye at times, but we just react differently. I couldn't say goodbye to Dad, for example. I sigh at the memory and stare up at the clouds in the window view. Nana and Quartz fly over to the window with big smiling eyes. I giggle and pat their heads. I hug them to my chest and we look out together. I am a friend…to Amu, to Ikuto (scratch that, I'm a sex doll to Ikuto), to Nana, to Quartz, to Yoru, and to Kio, who again I have not said goodbye to.

I'm committing suicide by doing this, facing the world on my own with very little money, knowledge, and food, but hey, I can survive. Want to know why?

"_Okay, please turn off all electronics for take off."_

I'm Maki Kia. Nobody else. I make my choices by gut, and when I do, I have a strong feeling I'm right (being prideful). I see Nana and Quartz sleeping out of exhaustion, so I smile kindly and open the house now reattached to my hip, setting them gently in the eggs I 'gave birth to' and shutting them quietly, replacing the roof. Nana and Quartz are my friends, my dreams, myself. They're still alive, so that means that I'm not doubting anything, that this is right. The engines roar and I feel the plane lift up into the sky after a few minutes of riding around the tracks. I set a hand over my abdomen and think about when I was flying as X-Negative to the top of that building. Yeah…that was Kaki, not under her own control. This all makes sense now. Even this one last thing…

Tata for now is never a lie.

**A.N:**

**Thank you all for the reviews, I appreciate someone who isn't lazy to type up something.**

**Sequel: 'No More Sorrow'**

**By: Linkinparkfan9799 (duh)**

**Date published: PROBABLY February 1, 2012**

**Could be earlier, could be later (who knows with this computer)**

**I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED 'MY PATCH OF ICE AND BLOOD'!**


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